Legislation

I am working with the Epilepsy Association of Utah supporting HB 361. I need your help. This bill requires pharmacies to contact the doctor before switching patients from a name brand to a generic medication or generic to generic medications for seizure patients. Seizure control is a very delicate thing. One out of every 100 people in the State of Utah will at some point in their lives have epilepsy. Seizure control is found by approximately 80% of patients for the most part seizure control is found through medications. Determination for the right medication for a particular person may require many trial-and-error or off label use of certain medication to gain seizure control. The consequences of break through seizures can be far more devastating to an individual's health, his productivity and to the cost of the illness to society than the recurrence of symptoms of other non-epilepsy related medical conditions. If a medication is switched because it is the bioequivalent does not always mean it will be the therapeutic equivalent. Doctors need to be aware when a patient calls them and tells them they have had break through seizures that a different medication was used to avoid any unnecessary costs on the patients, doctors and insurance companies ends.

I have dealt with this with seizures for both Kimmie and Erik. As a few of you may recall Erik was switched and went through a shower door during a seizure. Kimmie was switched a few weeks ago causing her to become really violent due to the increase in partial seizures. We forced Target to carry the medication that she was on despite their new contract with a new manufacturer.

Please write a note to your legislature telling them that you are in support of HB361. The note doesn't have to be long or say anything except that you are in support of HB361. To find your legislature go to http://le.utah.gov/Documents/find.htm. This is headed for the House of Representative floor hopefully by the end of this week or the beginning of next week.