Substituting antiepileptic drugs with cheap alternatives can increase seizures
Monday 20th February 2012
While many people will use the cheapest form of medication to combat illness a new study has found that substituting antiepileptic drugs with cost-effective alternatives can increase the chance of seizures.
Doctors, industry experts in pharmacy jobs and people with epilepsy have raised growing concerns that by switching from brand-name antiepileptic drugs to the more generic range of medication could increase the chance of a person having an attack. Whilst many maintain that the two types are interchangeable health experts have highlighted an increased pattern of people having seizures following a change of medication.
A team of pharmacists and researchers at the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital found that whilst the anticonvulsant drug does not cause seizures itself it is more to do with the changing of medication. In the study the doctors found that the body may not be compatible with a different type of medication and it can lead to the patient having increased complications should the body reject the new drug. This can be fatal in many humans.
Statistics from the NHS show that 500,000 people in the UK alone have a form of epilepsy with 30 per cent needing specialist treatment due to a series of seizures. The attacks are very dangerous and could cause a person to injure themselves or be involved in a car accident should they be behind the wheel at the time of the seizure.
The generic branches of antiepileptic drugs have been increasingly popular for pharmacies and patients in the US looking to save money on their treatment but researchers have warned that the wrong medication could prove fatal for sufferers.
Alexandra Finucane, executive vice-president of the national Epilepsy Foundation, said: "The patient and his or her doctor needs to know and consent in advance when a switch is being considered, as there may be a history of problems with switching and a need for monitoring during the change."
Written by James Puckle
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