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Epilepsy Patient Protection Bill Support HB 660 Current Louisiana law does not require pharmacies to provide notification when substituting anticonvulsant prescriptions. While small changes in medication type or dosage normally will have little to no effect on patients with other types of medical conditions, substitutions can have a significant impact on patients with epilepsy including serious side effects and breakthrough seizures. It is vital that you and your physician are fully aware of any change in your anticonvulsant medication. The Epilepsy Foundation of Florida has introduced legislation in the Louisiana House (HB660). The Epilepsy Patient Protection Bill requires a pharmacist to notify the patient and physician when substituting an epilepsy medication. To further protect patients, If you have experienced a medication substitution, we want to hear your story. Please contact us at (800) 960-0587 if you have experienced the following:
Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Complaint Form The Epilepsy Foundation of Louisiana has an active grassroots advocacy network where consumers effect change in the social service delivery system at the local, state, and national levels. Development of services are provided by individual advocacy and systems advocacy.
What can you do? Contact your local State Senator or State Representative and ask for their support of Bill HB660. Our call message to them is as follows: "Please vote for the Epilepsy bill! I'm a constituent who believes we should ensure the choices of individuals along with the assurance for effective physician/pharmacist collaborative practices on behalf of epilepsy patients and their medication choices.
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Advocacy, Anti-Seizure Medication & You This year marked the first attempt by the Epilepsy Foundation of Louisiana to support the passing of a House bill designed to protect the rights of Louisiana Residents with epilepsy. The Patient Protection Act was designed to require that all persons taking anti-epileptic medications and their doctors be fully informed before any change is made to the formulation of their medications. We at the Epilepsy Foundation strongly supported this legislation because many people have reported a change in their seizure status when the formulation of their medication has been changed. People from across the state were sought out to begin a grass roots advocacy initiative designed to support this legislation and an advocacy training session this past March. Unfortunately, the Patient Protection Act did not make it out of the Senate Health & Welfare committee this session. We are saddened by this turn of events but we are not giving up the fight. Our efforts to support such legislation and to encourage grass roots advocacy for the rights of individuals with epilepsy in Louisiana will continue in the future (more).
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Report breakthrough seizures that occur after a change from one medication formulation to another to the following:
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