LETTER RE: Generic substitution of antiepileptic drugs: What's a clinician to do?
KhicharShubhakaran, Dr. S.N. Medical College, Jodhpur, India, drkhicharsk@gmail.com
; Rekha Jakur Khichar, Dr. S. N. Medical College, Jodhpur, India
Submitted June 21, 2014
We read with interest the article by Dr. Privitera1 on
generic substitution of antiepileptic drugs. The US Food and
Drug Administration's approval of any drug is meaningful
worldwide. The issues raised in the article are practical
ones. In India, 10 to 11 million people are estimated to
have epilepsy and approximately 4% to 5% of the Indian
population is estimated to fall below the poverty line
because of costs for treatment of various medical ailments.
The government of India provides free medicine to those
below the poverty line, and gradually every citizen is
likely to be provided "free of charge" drugs that are
considered essential. There is also a provision to provide
drugs free of charge in special/exceptional cases, for which
there is also separate funding. Various standard
pharmaceutical companies are claiming their products to be
superior to their competitors' brands regarding
manufacturing, packing and dispensing, and efficacy.
Rigorous prospective trials are needed, from procurement to
dispensing, to periodic monitoring and surveillance.
Disclosures: The authors report no disclosures.
Reference
1. Privitera M. Generic substitution of antiepileptic drugs:
what's a clinician to do? Neurol Clin Pract 2013;3:161-164.
Disclosures: The authors report no disclosures.
Reference
1. Privitera M. Generic substitution of antiepileptic drugs: what's a clinician to do? Neurol Clin Pract 2013;3:161-164.