Are brand name medications better than generic?
In some cases, brand is preferred. It is the position of the Epilepsy Foundation of America, that brand name medications are preferable for the treatment of seizures. The quality of generic medications may be just as good, but the consistency or reliability is not. This is because many different companies can make a generic version of the same drug, and they may all be slightly different. In most people this difference is not significant enough to cause a problem. The trouble is, some people need very precise and consistent amounts of medication, and they may not do as well if they are taking a different generic every month. We encourage patients to try generic for financial reasons (generic drugs are much less expensive). However, if your seizure control has been very difficult to achieve, and you have been doing well on a brand name medication, your provider may not want you to switch. If you are taking generics, ask your pharmacist to give you the “NDC” number (national drug code) f
