Podcasts Other The Mike Hosking Breakfast Bella Gubay: Hopes Pharmac will take responsibility over deaths caused by epilepsy drug change

Bella Gubay: Hopes Pharmac will take responsibility over deaths caused by epilepsy drug change

Published: Nov. 29, 2020, 9:01 p.m.

A coronial inquest into six sudden epilepsy deaths will hopefully give families the answers they need.
It comes after New Zealand's drug buying agency Pharmac faced criticism for switching the brand of the drug, known as Logem, affecting 11,00 patients.
Families believe the drug change was the cause of these deaths.
Bella Gubay, whose child has epilepsy, says it would be good to see someone take responsibility.
"No one from Pharmac, no one from the Ministry of Health, no one from Medsafe put their hand up and said 'we're going to take action now to stop anyone else from getting hurt', and that's the real outrage."
She told Mike Hosking she hopes Pharmac will speak about the harm the change in medication has caused.
"People have almost broken their backs, children have almost lost eyes. This has been an absolutely tragic event for hundreds, if not thousands, and Pharmac haven't really commented on that."
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