The Epilepsy Services Medication Program (EMP) is a safety net program that provides epilepsy medication to clients when they need assistance paying for it. The Epilepsy Agency of the Big Bend and other Florida State Epilepsy Services Program* members can help individuals enroll. For additional information on the Epilepsy Medication Program, contact the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention at (850) 245-4330.
Visit the Epilepsy Services Medication Program (EMP) website
Prescription assistance may be available through Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs), which are created by pharmaceutical companies to provide free or discounted medicines to people who lack health insurance or other means of payment. Each program has its own qualifying criteria. The Epilepsy Agency of the Big Bend (EABB) and other Florida State Epilepsy Services Program members listed above can help individuals enroll. EABB is currently enrolling clients in the following PAPs:
DEPAKOTE ER is indicated as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in the treatment of adult patients and pediatric patients down to the age of 10 years with complex partial seizures that occur either in isolation or in association with other types of seizures. DEPAKOTE ER is also indicated for use as sole and adjunctive therapy in the treatment of simple and complex absence seizures in adults and children 10 years of age or older, and adjunctively in adults and children 10 years of age or older with multiple seizure types that include absence seizures (NIH:2020). Please contact 1-800-222-6885 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the DEPAKOTE ER PAP application, please click here.
FYCOMPA is a prescription medication used alone or with other medicines to treat partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in people with Epilepsy aged 4 and older and with other medicines to treat primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in people with epilepsy aged 12 and older (FYCOMPA:2019). Please contact 1-855-347-2448 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the FYCOMPA PAP application, please click here.
LAMICTAL is indicated as adjunctive therapy for seizure types including partial-onset seizures, primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and generalized seizures of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in patient 2 years of age or older. LAMICTAL is indicated for conversion to monotherapy in adults aged 16 years and older with partial-onset seizures who are receiving treatment with carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, or valproate as the single antiepileptic drug (LAMICTAL:2020). Please contact 1-866-728-4368 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the LAMICTAL PAP application, please click here.
TOPAMAX is a prescription medicine used to treat certain types of seizures (partial onset seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures) in adults and children 2 years and older, with other medicines to treat certain types of seizures (partial onset seizures, primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome) in adults and children 2 years and older, and to prevent migraine headaches in adults and adolescents 12 years and older (JANSSEN:2020). Please contact 1-800-652-6227 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the TOPAMAX PAP application, please click here.
Novartis’ purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. Novartis uses innovative technology to address some of society’s most challenging healthcare issues. Novartis discovers and develops breakthrough treatments and finds new ways to deliver them to as many people as possible (Novartis:2021). Please contact 1-800-277-2254 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the Novartis PAP application, please click here.
Pfizer’s purpose is grounded in their commitment to fund programs that provide public benefit, advance medical care and improve patient outcomes. Pfizer’s belief is that all people deserve to live healthy lives. This drives their desire to provide access to medicines that are safe, effective, and affordable (Pfizer:2021). Please contact 1-844-989-7284 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the Pfizer PAP application, please click here.
APTIOM is used for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 4 years of age and older (APTIOM:2020). Please contact 1-877-850-0819 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the APTIOM PAP application, please click here.
VIMPAT may help reduce the frequency of seizures in patients. Research has shown that VIMPAT can be effective when taken in addition to other epilepsy treatments. VIMPAT is available as a tablet, a syrup or an infusion. It is available for patients who have certain types of epilepsy and are at least 16 years old. Please contact 1-844-599-2273 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the UCB VIMPAT PAP application, please click here.
EPIDIOLEX is the first and only FDA-approved prescription CBD used to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex in patients 1 year of age and older. EPIDIOLEX significantly reduced seizures in people living with LGS, Dravet syndrome, or TSC for whom multiple previous seizure medicines did not work well (EPIDIOLEX:2020). Please contact 1-833-426-4243 or your Epilepsy Agency Services Program for more information on how to enroll.
For a link to the EPIDIOLEX PAP application, please click here.