A man in the U.K. with epilepsy died after his pharmacy ran out of "essential" medication, leaving him with nothing but an "IOU" note, according to a coroner's report.

David Crompton, a 44-year-old from Leeds, suffered a fatal heart attack following a fall on December 13. The fall occurred after his local pharmacy failed to supply him with Tegretol, an anticonvulsant used to treat seizures and nerve pain, according to report issued by Kevin McLoughlin, West Yorkshire's senior coroner.

The same pharmacy ran out of Tegretol for a week in April 2024. During this period, Crompton experienced a seizure that caused him to fall. Following this incident, a hospital specialist suggested that the absence of Tegretol likely contributed to Crompton's seizure. The recent coroner's report concluded that epilepsy was a contributory factor in Crompton's death.

The pharmacy had delivered other medications to Crompton's home in December but left a handwritten "IOU" for Tegretol. According to the coroner, the patient's epileptic condition was likely to "destabilize and give rise to fits" without the medication. The report also suggests that the fact that he had to waiting for relatively lengthy times on two occasions for an essential medication was a matter of concern.

"It is important that when anti-epileptic medication is prescribed by a GP that this is obtained and supplied promptly by the dispensing pharmacy," the coroner wrote, adding that in case of shortage, pharmacist should have directed the patient to relevant hospital department.

Responding to the report, Clare Pelham, Chief Executive Officer of the Epilepsy Society said: "How can it be the case that sadly someone dies as a result of a medicines shortage in the UK? We have been warning for months of the worst and most extreme outcome that medication shortages can have for people with epilepsy."

"For many people with epilepsy there is no plan B when their medication is not available. They cannot safely switch between different versions of a drug, even if the active ingredient is the same," Pelham said.

The Epilepsy Society also urges the government to urgently review the medicine supply chain, emphasizing the need to address the global factors contributing to shortages in the UK. "It is critical that another family doesn't have to experience this devastating loss," Pelham added.

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