Dental CE Course: Generic Substitution and Therapeutic Equivalence of Antiepileptic DrugsL Clinical and Pharmacoeconom

The issue of generic drug substitution is complex and often poorly understood by physicians and pharmacists. Although the FDA requires that two drugs are similar as demonstrated by bioequivalence data, therapeutic equivalence (or therapeutic effectiveness) and bioequivalence are not necessarily the same. In the case of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), the therapeutic range over which they are effective may be narrow and, although generic substitution of AEDs may be appropriate for some patients with epilepsy, it may represent suboptimal care for others. There may be seizure recurrence or an increase in side effects with the use of generic drugs. In these patients, potential cost savings of generic AEDs must be weighed carefully against potential additional medical costs, such as extra office visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. This program will give an overview of these and other important issues associated with generic substitution of AEDs.