Concerns Among Epilepsy Patients About Seizure Recurrence Due to Medication Shortage

The Canadian Epilepsy Alliance warns that a persistent shortage of epilepsy medication is causing concern among patients who fear experiencing seizures if they switch to an alternative.

The scarcity of Teva-clobazam, which began in May and is anticipated to last until April next year, is detailed on Health Canada’s drug shortages website.

Representing epilepsy organizations nationwide, the alliance reports that patients are urgently seeking doses at various pharmacies.

While another form of the medication, Apo-clobazam, is available, experts point out that some individuals cannot safely switch between the two without risking breakthrough seizures.

Dr. Eduard Bercovici, a Toronto neurologist specializing in epilepsy, underscores that drug shortages can have disastrous consequences for individuals reliant on them to prevent seizures.

The shortage of Teva-clobazam is attributed to a “disruption of the manufacture of the drug.”

Teva Canada, the manufacturer, has failed to respond to an email from The Canadian Press inquiring about further details.

Describing epilepsy as an unpredictable and unprovoked condition, Dr. Bercovici highlighted the anxiety faced by individuals who may experience seizures when missing their medication.

Both Teva-clobazam and Apo-Clobazam, produced by Apotex, belong to the benzodiazepine class and are essentially identical, according to Dr. Bercovici.

However, some individuals with epilepsy, for reasons not entirely clear, exhibit high sensitivity and adverse reactions, such as the reemergence of seizures, upon switching between the two versions.

He noted that such sensitivity can manifest with either medication, mentioning numerous patients under the Apotex version.

Reverend John Dickinson, a 90-year-old residing in Kitchener, Ont., cannot transition between the two versions and specifically requires the Teva version, as per his daughter.

His daughter, Rebecca Roland, shared that after switching to the generic Apo-clobazam, Dickinson’s seizures recurred at night, prompting a return to Teva-clobazam, which effectively controlled his condition.

However, since the ongoing shortage disrupted the drug supply in August, Roland and her family have been tirelessly searching for Teva-clobazam doses, driving long distances across Ontario.

Upon learning of the extended shortage until April, they expressed worry about the dwindling availability of doses and consulted his neurologist.

Despite their hopes for an alternative solution, the only option presented was a switch to the Apotex version, a prospect that concerns Roland given her father’s age.

According to the Canadian Epilepsy Alliance, approximately 260,000 Canadians live with epilepsy.

The alliance’s president, Laura Dickson, emphasized the risks of dislodging individuals from effective medications during a shortage, citing safety concerns for those reliant on these treatments in their daily lives.