‘Steep rise’ in patients struggling to get epilepsy medication

The Epilepsy Society is calling for the government to commission an urgent review of the supply chain of epilepsy medication.

The appeal follows a ‘steep rise’ in the volume of people struggling to obtain medication to help control their seizures, and the charity say the ‘anxiety and stress’ of this is putting patients at greater risk of the seizures.

Epilepsy is a serious and common neurological condition, which currently affects over 500,000 people in the UK.

The reason for the shortages of epilepsy drug sodium valproate is reportedly due to supply disruption at a main manufacturing facility in 2018.

Rising numbers of people have recently made contact with the charity’s helpline over concerns about getting hold of medication.

The Epilepsy Society’s chief executive Clare Pelham, said “It is simply not good enough for drug manufacturers to say ‘production issues’ or ‘just-in-time manufacture problems’ and shrug their shoulders whenever a shortage occurs.

“Surely the least that we can do – government, charities and the pharmaceutical industry – is to work together to ensure that the supply of this essential medication is reliable every day, and every month – year in and year out.

“So that when the Brexit spotlight has moved on, people with epilepsy will be in a much better place.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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