Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I echo the comments made by the two previous speakers and do not want to go over them again, but those speakers articulated the concerns, as has the Chairman, that have been given in evidence by representatives of people with epilepsy and in individual representations we have received.

For a person with epilepsy, anti-epileptic drugs are like a pair of shoes. One cannot give someone a different pair of shoes as they may be the wrong size and they may end up taking the feet off them, so to speak. In the case of epilepsy, changing a person's medications can be far more serious because it can have both short-term and long-term consequences. In fairness to Epilepsy Ireland, there is an issue in regard to AEDs. Approximately €75 million per annum is spent on AEDs and, of that, approximately €40 million is spent on one particular drug. The vast majority of people taking that drug are using it to treat neuropathic pain rather than epilepsy. In instances in which a medication is being prescribed specifically to prevent seizures, there should not be the flexibility to replace it, because of the implications it could have for the patient.

It is not just Epilepsy Ireland or those suffering from epilepsy who have said it; the Moran report, published by the Department in 2010, specifically highlights the issue and states it should be excluded from generic substitution. The case has been made in the Upper House and at the committee. If the intention is to ensure there will not be generic substitution for persons with epilepsy, why not provide them with reassurance and include a technical amendment in the legislation to facilitate this?