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EDITORIALS: Edward Reynolds Treating refractory epilepsy in adults BMJ 2006; 332: 562-563 [Full text]

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Other things also matter to patients

Joanne M Shaw   (14 March 2006)

Other things also matter to patients 14 March 2006
Joanne M Shaw, Director, Medicines Partnership 1 Lambeth High Street, Lonodn SE1 7JN Send response to journal: Re: Other things also matter to patients	Editor - the plethora of treatment options in eplilepsy described by Edward Reynolds is indeed daunting. For patients, though, seizure control is rarely the only consideration - side effects can often have a huge impact on quality of life. We have come across people who have been taking the same anti-epileptic medication for ten years and having great difficulty coping with side effects, believing that there is only one drug available for epilepsy. The conclusion is that side effects need to be discussed with patients, as well as efficacy, as they are an important factor in the treatment decision. In 2004, Medicines Partnership produced a guide to review consultations called "focus on your health, for people with epilepsy". The guide encourages people with epilepsy to come forward and prepare for a regular review of their condition and anti-epileptic medication. It gives people with epilepsy and their carers an understanding of why regular reviews are important, what they can expect, and how they can get the most out of a review by rehearsing their concerns and questions and completing a medication history and epilepsy diary in advance. It was developed in collaboration with Consumation Media, Epilepsy Action, the National Society for Epilepsy, Epilepsy Bereaved and neurologists, GPs and epilepsy specialist nurses, and it has been tested with people with epilepsy. The guide can be downloaded from: http://www.medicines- partnership.org/index.asp?pgid=992#epilepsy. Competing interests: None declared