For professionals referring to the epilepsy nurse specialist liaison service

Referring your patient

Patients need to be 16yrs old or over
Patients need to have been under the ongoing care of a Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust neurologist within the past 5 years
Patients need to have a GP in the Sheffield, Chesterfield or Rotherham area

Shared care protocol

Contact details:

For use by Health care professionals only: 0114 271 3488
Email: sth.epilepsyservice@nhs.net

Teaching and training

We do offer Epilepsy Awareness Training, and some Rescue Medication Training. Please email our service at sth.epilepsyservice@nhs.net for more information.

Guidelines

Here are some useful guidelines in relation to adults with epilepsy.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) - Epilepsies: diagnosis and management (CG137)
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg137

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) - Diagnosis and management of epilepsy in adults
http://www.sign.ac.uk/sign-143-diagnosis-and-management-of-epilepsy-in-adults.html

Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/antiepileptic-drugs-new-advice-on-switching-between-different-manufacturers-products-for-a-particular-drug

What does the MHRA guidance say?

The guidance divides AEDs into three categories according to the importance of maintaining a consistent supply and depending on whether there is considered to be a risk of problems if switching between different versions.

Category 1:

Phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and primidone.
Specific measures are necessary to ensure consistent supply of a particular product.
This means that individuals should not be switched between versions of these AEDs, but should always be kept on the same version.

Category 2:

Sodium valproate, lamotrigine, perampanel, retigabine, rufinamide, clobazam, clonazepam, oxcarbazepine, eslicarbazepine acetate, topiramate and zonisamide.
The need for continued supply of a particular product should be based on ‘clinical judgement’ (the doctors judgement of the risk of problems) and in consultation with the individual.
This means that a doctor should decide, with the individual, whether it is important to always stay on the same version or whether it is ok to switch between different versions.

Category 3:

Levetiracetam, lacosamide, tiagabine, gabapentin, pregabalin, ethosuximide and vigabatrin.
No specific measures are normally required and these AEDs can be prescribed generically.
This means that individuals can be switched between different versions of their AEDs.

Other services:

Barnsley

Adult Epilepsy Nursing Service
Epilepsy Nurse Specialists: Caroline Marsden, Karen Armitage & Tim Fells
Address:
Mount Vernon Hospital
Mount Vernon Road
Barnsley
S70 4DP
Telephone: 01226 644646

Doncaster

Adult Epilepsy Nursing Service
Epilepsy Nurse Specialists: Carole Doran and Alistair Perry
Admin Corridor,
Tickhill Road Hospital,
Balby,
Doncaster,
DN4 8QL
Telephone: 01302 796217