Automatic substitution of anti-epileptic drugs (updated 5 February 2010)

On 5 January 2010, the UK Department of Health launched its consultation into introducing generic substitution called “The proposals to implement 'generic substitution' in primary care, further to the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) 2009.”

Epilepsy Action has been campaigning for this full government consultation, and for anti-epileptic drugs to be excluded from any generic substitution proposals.

Epilepsy Action is pleased to see that the government has listened to the concerns of people with epilepsy. Over 12,000 people signed a Number 10 petition calling for AEDs to be exempt from the proposals, demonstrating the importance of this issue for people with epilepsy. You can see the government's response on the Number 10 website.

The consultation is available on the Department of Health website.

The consultation is open until 30 March 2010.

Three options

The three options that the Department of Health is proposing and asking us to choose between are;

Option 1 – The system remains as it is now (No introduction of generic substitution).

Option 2 – Substitution is introduced, but there is a list of drugs not to be substituted.

Option 3 – Substitution is introduced but only for a list of selected drugs.

The consultation also includes two options for allowing prescribers to opt individual patients out of any scheme.

What happens now?

Epilepsy Action is encouraging as many people as possible to respond to the ‘consistency of supply’ consultation. People can respond to the consultation by:

• Completing the department’s consultation form.
  To help with this, we have prepared some extended notes which highlight what we believe are the main points, or
• Sending this prepared letter to the consultation team.
  This may help if you are unsure what to write, but you want to support our position.

We also recognise that not everyone will be able to prepare their own submission. Therefore if any supporter has any general comments to make, on either the consultation or the issue of ‘generic substitution’, we would encourage them to send them to us and we will collate and send these in.

Epilepsy Action hopes to anonymously quote the comments of our members in the submission, to show that this issue is of genuine concern to people with epilepsy. If you have comments to make, or would like to tell us your experiences, please put them in writing and send them to Pete Scott, campaigns and policy officer.

Pete can be contacted by emailing pscott@epilepsy.org.uk or writing to him at New Anstey House, Gate Way Drive, Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7XY.

Please note, this consultation applies to England only.

The Department of Health states that governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will make their own policy regarding generic substitution.

We are writing to the secretaries of health in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ask their plans for the introduction of generic substitution, and will update this page with the information when we receive it.