Authors' objectives: This is an evidence report prepared by the University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital Evidence-based Practice Center examining the comparative efficacy, safety, and tolerability of newer versus older and innovator versus generic antiepileptic medications.

Authors' recommendations: Carbamazepine had advantages in epilepsy control over newer antiepileptic medications as a class but had more adverse effects. Valproic acid and phenytoin provided epilepsy control similar to newer antiepileptic medications, but there were adverse events that occurred more commonly with these older antiepileptic medications. However, these adverse events did not significantly increase the risk of withdrawals. In patients who need to initiate an antiepileptic medication, we could find no substantive differences in terms of benefits or harms associated with the use of an innovator versus a generic. There was insufficient to low strength of evidence suggesting that switching from an innovator to a generic, generic to generic, or generic to innovator version of the same medication may increase the short-term risk of hospitalization and hospital stay duration and may increase the short-term risk of a composite of having an emergency department and hospitalization visit with or without ambulance service utilization.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2011

URL for published report: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/159/868/Epilepsy_FinalReport_20120802.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Contact Address: Center for Outcomes and Evidence Technology Assessment Program, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel: +1 301 427 1610; Fax: +1 301 427 1639;

Contact Name: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Contact Email: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Copyright: <p>Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)</p>