Course Summary

Levetiracetam is a second-generation anticonvulsant that has labeled uses and is prescribed off-label as a monotherapy or adjunctive therapy for certain types of partial, myoclonic, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Epilepsy is a brain disorder. Not all epileptic patients respond to initial therapy, and there can be a number of epileptic patients who remain refractory to medical treatment, leading to long-term antiepileptic drug therapy. Levetiracetam differs from other anticonvulsant drugs in that it is primarily excreted by the kidneys, has less burden on the liver, and has fewer reported incidents of serious side effects. Levetiracetam has a novel mechanism within the brain. Levetiracetam has risks and benefits that must be considered when prescribing it to epileptic patients.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
• Pharmacological Profile and Uses
  • Mechanism of Action
  • Labeled and Unlabeled Uses
  • Available Forms and Dosing
• Treatment of Partial Seizures
  • Oral Dosage (Oral Solution)
  • Oral Dosage (Immediate-release Tablets and Fast-melting Tablets)
  • Oral Dosage (Extended-release Tablets)
  • Intravenous Dosage
• Adjunctive Treatment of Myoclonic Seizures for Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy
  • Oral Dosage
  • Intravenous Dosage
• Adjunctive Treatment of Primary Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures for Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy
  • Oral Dosage
  • Oral Dosage for Fast-melting Tablets (Spritam)
  • Intravenous Dosage
• Off-label Treatment of Convulsive Status Epilepticus or Acute Repetitive Seizures
  • Intravenous Dosage (Convulsive Status Epilepticus)
  • Intravenous Dosage for Seizure Prophylaxis
• Epilepsy and Types of Seizures
  • Generalized Seizures
  • Focal Seizures
  • Status Epilepticus
• Levetiracetam as a Treatment of Specific Types of Seizures
  • Myoclonic and Tonic-Clonic Seizures
  • Primary Generalized Tonic-clonic Seizures
  • Levetiracetam and Status Epilepticus
• Drug Warnings, Contraindications, and Adverse Events
  • Hypersensitivity
  • Cardiovascular
  • Central Nervous System
  • Dermatologic
  • Bone Marrow Suppression and Blood Abnormalities
  • Psychiatric and Somnolence
  • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
  • Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Antiepileptic Drugs
• Drug Withdrawal, Interaction, and Overdose
• Case Study: Psychiatric Symptoms with the Use of Levetiracetam
  • Differential Diagnosis: Psychosis in a Case of Seizure Disorder
• Summary

Author

Kellie Wilson, PharmD

Kellie Wilson is a Doctor of Pharmacy practicing in Anaconda, Montana, where she lives with her husband and four children. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula where she graduated in 2009 with a doctorate in pharmacy. She later worked in Boise, Idaho for a large, retail pharmacy for 2 years, and then returned home to Montana to oversee an independently owned retail and long-term care pharmacy in Anaconda. As an independent retail pharmacist she has become very involved in psychiatric pharmacy for two major behavioral health organizations that are located around all of Montana. Kellie’s passion is retail pharmacy because she enjoys the interactions with customers as well as the challenges and rewards of staying current with the continuous changes in the pharmacy field.