A study of serious adverse drug reactions with antiepileptic drugs: a pharmacovigilance study

Background: Approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. There are currently more than 25 drugs in the market for the treatment of epilepsy, many of which have similar efficacy but differ in their tolerability profile. Besides unmatched beneficial potential of antiepileptic drugs, it is associated with many adverse reactions too. This study aims to identify the serious adverse reactions caused by prescribed antiepileptics, reported at the pharmacovigilance centre of government tertiary care centre.Methods: This is a retrospective, pharmacovigilance study of the antiepileptic drugs adverse reactions reported over a period of 1 year at a tertiary care centre.Results: A total of 120 ADRs of antiepileptic drugs were reported and collected at the pharmacovigilance centre. According to the WHO-ART system organ classification of ADRs, 78% of ADRs belonged to skin and appendages disorder. Based on the modified Hartwig and Siegel scale of severity, 60.8% ADRs were mild, 18.5% were moderate and 20.8 % were severe ADRs. The severe ADRs included: Steven-Johnson syndrome, Toxic epidermal necrolysis, Erythroderma, DRESS syndrome and Acute pancreatitis. Phenytoin has been found to be the antiepileptic drug causing the most number of severe ADRs amongst the prescribed antiepileptics. According to the modified Schumock and Thornton criteria most of the severe ADRs were not preventable.Conclusions: This study analyses the ADRs associated with antiepileptics reported at the pharmacovigilance centre. 20.8% ADRS were severe, this indicates that the epileptic patients should be closely monitored for ADRs, to avoid clinically significant harmful consequences. The awareness of ADRs would help physicians to identify patients with greater risk of ADRs and therefore, might benefit from ADRs monitoring and reporting programmes.