Urge your legislator to exclude epilepsy medications from the prescription drug monitoring program
The Pennsylvania legislature is considering a bill, HB 1694, that would expand the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to include anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs). Drug monitoring programs have been established in many states, including Pennsylvania, to address prescription drug abuse by closely monitoring and restricting access to medications with abuse potential scheduled drugs. We are concerned that the proposed expansion will limit access to anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) and negatively impact the health and privacy of people living with epilepsy in Pennsylvania, by creating potential barriers to physician directed care and an unnecessary administrative burden that may jeopardize patient access and privacy. For people living with epilepsy, access to appropriate and effective epilepsy medications is critical for achieving and maintaining seizure control.
The Epilepsy Foundation and its two Pennsylvania affiliates, Epilepsy Foundation Eastern Pennsylvania and Epilepsy Foundation Western/Central Pennsylvania, strongly believe that including AEDs in the monitoring program will endanger the health and privacy of epilepsy patients and have urged the legislature to amend the bill to exempt AEDs.
Contact your state legislators today and ask them to support an amendment that exempts AEDs from the proposed expansion of the prescription drug monitoring program to preserve and protect access to medications and privacy for individuals living with epilepsy in Pennsylvania. Click here to Take Action and fill out the letter to send the message to your legislators.
