Health and Public Safety

 H534 is a bill to address a problem that very significantly impacts Epilepsy patients.  Epilepsy patients take medications to stop or control their seizures and with the help of their doctors, carefully determine which specific medications work for them. 

A problem has arisen where epilepsy patients are forced to switch medications by insurance or availability limitations and then experience seizures that seriously impact their lives. Typically, this problem occurs when a patient’s medication is switched from one generic medication to a different manufacture’s brand of that same generic medication. With Epilepsy medications, the therapeutic margins are so thin that by switching from one manufacture’s medication to another, these patients can fall out of seizure control.  Another problem with switching these medications is that when these patients have these breakthrough events, and go back to their physician for help, the physician and the patient will not know that this switch could have been the problem (since the drug remains the same).

Under H534, when a prescriber has specified that a drug is being prescribed for the treatment of epilepsy, pharmacists will notify the prescriber and the patient (or their representative) when they change the brand of the drug being dispensed. When the patient and their prescriber are informed of the change, they can take steps to avoid the loss of seizure control. They can then take responsibility for a good outcome (and ultimately save healthcare dollars).

HB 534 is much needed because having a seizure event can have dire results beyond diminished ability to control future seizures.  Not only can it   cause physical harm, but if it occurs while operating a car, it endangers the people around the patient with compromised seizure control . Loss of drivin significant quality of life erosion.g privileges, in Idaho often means serious inability to get to work, and Everything must be done to prevent additional seizures and the associated additional medical consequences, financial burdens in addition to issues of compromised public safety.

H534 helps solve the problem and keeps the prescriber and the patient informed on the medications that they are taking.  It has passed unanimously with a “do pass recommendation in the House Health and Welfare committee today (Monday, March 8^th) and will go to the full House for a vote before heading to the Senate.