the fda tightly regulates the manufacture of all generic drugs just like brand-name drugs. epilepsy drugs are held to the same high standards. generic epilepsy drugs have precisely the same amount of drug as the brand-name version. generic drugs must meet the same high standards for purity quality and strength as the drugs they imitate. in reviews done by the fda generic drugs achieve almost exactly the blood levels as brand-names -- with only a 3% to 4% difference. experts believe that whatever problem with generic drugs exists it doesn't affect most people with epilepsy. "for the vast majority of patients there probably isn't a problem with switching to a generic " says jacqueline french md professor of neurology at new york university's school of medicine. "but some people are on relatively thin ice when it comes to seizure control. they're sensitive to small changes in blood levels" of their epilepsy drugs she says.
is there a problem with generic epilepsy drugs?