Patient perception of generic antiepileptic drugs in the Midwestern United States.
OBJECTIVE
Concerns have been raised about the safety of switching from a branded antiepileptic drug (AED) to a generic AED. The goal of the study described here was to understand patients' experiences with generic AEDs in the Midwestern United States.


METHODS
A one-page, six-item survey was mailed to 356 patients to determine patients' awareness of the existence and their usage of generic AEDs.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight percent (27.8%) of respondents (N=179) reported breakthrough seizures they believed were a direct result of the switch from a brand to a generic AED, and 33.7% reported side effects due to the switch. Thirty-one percent (31.2%) returned to a brand-name AED as a result. Sixty-nine percent (68.8%) reported being unaware that some pharmacies switch to generic AEDs without a patient's or physician's consent, and 78.7% expressed concern over this.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant percentage of patients reported that generic AEDs were responsible for breakthrough seizures and increased side effects. A significant percentage of patients also reported switching back to a brand-name AED and expressed concern over pharmacies switching to generic AEDs without a patient's or physician's consent.
University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita, KS 67214-3199, USA.
Tania Beltran
TB
Papsdorf
Elizabeth
E
Ablah
Surya
S
Ram
Toni
T
Sadler
Kore
K
Liow
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003625:Data Collection; D016568:Drugs, Generic; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D055815:Young Adult
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D016568:Drugs, Generic