Petition Against Automatic Substitution Of Anti-epileptic Drugs

Main Category: Epilepsy
Article Date: 02 Aug 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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From time to time, Headway is made aware of worthy causes it believes it should provide its support to.

We were recently contacted by a number of Epilepsy charities and concerned Headway members about planned changes to prescribing guidelines, which will require pharmacists to substitute branded Epilepsy medication for cheaper, generic versions.

Whilst we understand that the NHS need to save money where possible, the active ingredient in these generic drugs can vary by as much as 45%, which can have a profound negative effect on a person's quality of life. Headway agrees with the Joint Epilepsy Council's position that only a doctor with special interest in epilepsy should change someone's epilepsy medication, not a pharmacist or health economist.

We would like to invite you to join the campaign against these proposals by signing a petition on the government's Number 10 website. The petition was created by the Joint Epilepsy Council.

Please click the link below to read more and to sign the petition. For more information on Epilepsy after brain injury, you can download our factsheet from the Factsheets page.

Source
Headway