House bill would require notice of drug substitution

Pharmacists would have to notify patients and prescribing physicians if they substitute an antiepileptic drug, whether name brand or generic, for one prescribed for the treatment of seizures, including epilepsy under HSB 529, which was approved by the House Commerce Committee 12-10 Monday.

The bill could have national implications, according to Dale Todd of Cedar Rapids, a vice president of the National Epilepsy Foundation. The incentives for pharmacists to substitute less expensive drugs are significant, he said. However, research now exists showing there can be differ3ences in the therapeutic value of generic medications,” Todd said. “For the fragile epileptic, the difference can be huge.”

“All we want is for the patient to be aware of the substitution,” he said.