Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on November 29, 2007

Click here to view bill details.

Prescribing effective medications that affect brain functioning is a tedious process by physician and patient. Seizures are serious and the medication should not be determined or changed by pharmaceutical firms or pharmacists.

I've looked into this and can't seem to find any actual clinical studies that have shown generics of antiepileptics to be any less effective than the brand name. On the contrary, I've found quite a few trials that show no difference in efficacy. Furthermore, if a doctor preferred a patient to have brand name, he/she need do no more than write "DAW" on the prescription. If a patient preferred brand, he/she need do no more than ask for it. -Pharmacy Student

giving the doctor and the patient FREEDOM OF CHOICE, which every liberal knows is abhorant to the DEMOCRAT WAY.

This is not about the difference between name brand and generic medications. Some epilepsy patients do better on a generic, while others do better on a name brand prescription. Switching medications (regardless of whether the switch is from name brand to generic, generic to name brand, generic to generic or name brand to name brand) can be extremely dangerous for a person with epilepsy. Switching medications exposes those with epilepsy to an unnecessary risk and an increased chance for a breakthrough seizure. It can take years for a doctor to determine the correct medication dosage and brand for a patient, and switching that medication poses a very dangerous risk. Do your homework, pharmacy student. There is no logical reason for this legislation to not be passed (unless you're too lazy to call the physician, that is).