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This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure an exemption for epilepsy from the new generic prescribing proposals, on the grounds that the active ingredients in different brands of anti-epileptic medication can legally vary by up to 45% and that unnecessarily switching between versions can have a profound negative effect on a person’s health and quality of life, can cause breakthrough seizures, worsening of seizures or increased side effects, leading to loss of employment, driving licence, educational opportunity, serious injury and, in the most severe cases, death, and that consistent effective treatment should not be altered on questionable cost grounds. More details
Submitted by Simon Wigglesworth of Joint Epilepsy Council – Deadline to sign up by: 01 October 2009 – Signatures: 12,206
Petition update, 04 February 2010
You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to " ensure an exemption for epilepsy from the new generic prescribing proposals, on the grounds that the active ingredients in different brands of anti-epileptic medication can legally vary by up to 45% and that unnecessarily switching between versions can have a profound negative effect on a person’s health and quality of life, can cause breakthrough seizures, worsening of seizures or increased side effects, leading to loss of employment, driving licence, educational opportunity, serious injury and, in the most severe cases, death, and that consistent effective treatment should not be altered on questionable cost grounds."The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page22367
Prime Minister's Office
More details from petition creator
From January 2010 pharmacists will be expected to change the brand of drug named on a prescription and replace it with a different generic brand. This is against the epilepsy guidelines from NICE. There is significant evidence from doctors and patients that some people with epilepsy have difficulties when changed between different versions of the ‘same’ drug. Generic brands have to follow ‘bioequivalence’ rules. These allow the amount of active ingredient to vary 80 – 125 %; being given a different brand can mean receiving a different dose. Many anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) have a narrow therapeutic window and dose levels have to be finely balanced. A doctor with special interest in epilepsy should change someone’s epilepsy medication, not a pharmacist or health economist. People with epilepsy should receive the same version of their AED unless their doctor prescribes otherwise for medical not financial reasons. The Joint Epilepsy Council is campaigning for an exemption for AEDs.
Current signatories
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- Anji Johnston
- Keith
- Rachel Abdul
- Roger Evans
- J Rawbone
- P A Latham
- Paul vincent
- brian chelton
- James Bray
- Faye Chandler
- Andrew Troth
- Tessa Lamb
- Paul Carroll
- Christine Kennington
- Jessica Lomath
- Irene Carroll
- James Carroll
- Andy Sheppard
- Rebecca Park
- fiona gibson
- Helena dos Santos
- Damien Cramp
- Jennifer Moss
- Ian Rose
- Clare Buckingham
- deborah cocks
- LAURENCE ASSLINGER
- LINDA JEE
- T Creighton
- emma barkas
- Beverley Sturdy
- Jason Lester
- Marie-Caroline Kennington
- Lyndsey Rose
- Carolyn Tuttiett
- Phillip Mathiias
- Karen Shallcross
- Laura Park
- Wendy Cousins
- Robert Garlick
- Amy Tweedale
- PATRICK THOMPSON
- Lorna Seymour
- Michael Lynch
- lisa harlan
- Sandra
- lavinia weir
- Sarah Kinghorn
- Fiona Blackburn
- Lisa Rowsell
- Esme Read
- Charlotte Hancock
- Robert Grant
- louise caster
- Carol Lindley
- Emma Ward
- Tina Gibbs
- Claire Barker
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- Katie Park-Walford
- Olive Qualtrough
- Christine Adams
- Michael Adams
- Christopher Adams
- Dawn Adams
- Clare Whyman
- linda furness
- Benedict Hurl
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- lauren kennedy
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- Natalie Lloyd
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- Peter Limpus
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- ELIZABETH GODFREY
- Sharon Kendall
- Lucie Staden
- thomas pearson
- trudy grunsell
- Mrs J Weeks
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- Sarah Goodyear
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- Joanne Horner
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- Michael Waters
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- Martin Rutherford
- Enrique
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- Eleanor Jupp
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- Diana Evans
- sheila harrison
- Kim Smith
- Peter Smith
- Maureen Challenger
- B H Roberts
- Brian King
- Rebecca Oxendale
- pippa wilkes
- janet birchall
- davidbirchall
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- Sue Day
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- clare berrington
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- Steve Jones
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- Lynn Filtness
- Elizabeth Smith
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- mr j d brocklebank
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- Hen Robinson
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Because there are so many signatories, only the most recent 500 are shown on this page.
