It's basically a matter of whether or not that particular drug controls the
seizures. They all act on the brain and have the potential for exerting a
controlling influence. There are no absolutes and the whole process of selecting
a drug is one of sequentially trying one after another until you hopefully find
one that works. I don't think you need to worry about the drug selecyion.

  My comment is similar to what partials said earler. Oxcarbazepine is
(I think) part of the same family as Carbamazepine (Tegretol), although
its target might be slightly different. I take Tegretol to control
Complex Partial (Temporal Lobe) szrs., not just Simple Partials.
Several other people around here are using Carbitrol and other pills
that are in the same families of pills.
   Like partials said, they want to try find the best pill for your
Dad, with the least side effects, but the best control.  You could try
Google around on oxcarbazepine and see what turns up, or if you didn't
get a printout from the pharmacy, if they don't have a website they can
give you, there might be some basic stuff under the U.S. Ep. Foundation
site at http://efa.org .  Go to the medications link, and either scroll
to the med. or type in the name and click 'enter' or 'search' by the
box that shows up.  It should give you a 1-page printable writeup.
   *In case it's like my Tegretol (Carbamazepine),  see if it has any
comments about care with Upset stomach remedies, alcohol, and
*grapefruit juice.   I found all 3 of those with my Tegretol before it
turned up on the Druggist's Printouts or online (I started using it
before I had a computer).   But all 3 of those over the counter things
had a conflict with my particular pill, that's related to your Dad's.
Hope that helps some.   G./

 Like partials said earlier, several of the pills can be used to treat
more than one type of seizure.  In some cases a second pill might be
added if the first doesn't give full control at a particular target
dose too.
  I think Oxcarbazepine is a relative of my Tegretol (Carbamazepine),
although they might be targeted for our different szr. types.  My pills
are treating (and controlling)  Complex Partial seizures, not just
simple partials you mentioned.
  If he didn't get a printout from his Pharmacy, he could ask for one,
or they might be able to give you a www site where you could print
information about how to use it.  There might be some basic stuff on US
Ep.Foundation Glossary -->  http://efa.org  then go to Medications
glossary and either scroll down or type in Oxcarbazepine to get a
printable page.      In *case this one is more closely related to my
Tegretol, my printout now has a warning to be careful with Alcohol,
Upset stomach remedies, and Grapefruit Juice.  All 3 of those can
conflict with my Tegretol, but I don't know if the same applies to
your's.
  It's also important with my Tegretol to not miss any doses, as the
Dr. set out.  If the same applies to your Dad's type, there's a 7-day
pill case you can get that I found handy to keep doses sorted, and I
could tell if I had forgot a dose, or prevented me taking 2 by mistake.
  (Also with many of the pills the Dr. might do bloodtests to see if
the pill is at the level they wanted.  Any missed doses will produce a
false reading on such tests and the Dr. might raise the dose, trying to
reach a target level, and inadvertently raise it too high if the dose
rate isn't being followed.)     I hope some of that helps.  G./