Epipens

Written by PeopleOne Personal Pharmacist Team | Nov 17, 2023 5:00:00 PM

CHECK WITH YOUR PERSONAL PHARMACIST WE ARE HERE TO HELP.

Your dose of information on what is happening in the pharmacy landscape from PeopleOne Personal Pharmacist

We are medication experts and are here to help you. Pharmacist: 814-297-9960

Allergic Reaction Products

Bee stings, shellfish, and peanut butter, oh my! Whether it’s our friend, niece, or neighbor, we all know a person that is affected by severe allergies. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 1 in 50 Americans is known to suffer from anaphylactic reactions. However, many of these people do not carry a life-saving medication for allergic reactions due to cost. In this edition of the Watchlist, we will cover anaphylaxis and what products are available for patients.

What is anaphylaxis? Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction to an allergen that is extreme and can be life-threatening. Anaphylaxis can occur immediately following exposure to the allergen or may be delayed half an hour or occasionally a few hours later. Signs of anaphylaxis include skin reaction, swelling tongue or throat, difficulty breathing, rapid and weak pulse, low blood pressure, dizziness, and fainting. As you can see, anaphylaxis is very dangerous and requires urgent and immediate medical attention.
What can be done? If anaphylaxis is suspected, call 911!

Many patients who know they suffer from severe allergies will carry around an emergency medication containing epinephrine. If a person has an epinephrine product, use it immediately when anaphylaxis is suspected in addition to initiating emergency services.

Epinephrine Products:
Epi-Pen® (or the generic epinephrine auto injector) is an intramuscular injection that can be self-administered by a patient or given by another person in the case of anaphylaxis. Typically this comes in a pack of 2 and the dose can be repeated after 15 minutes if the patient is not responding to the initial dose. These packs come two strengths, one for adults and one for children less than 50 kg.	Auvi Q® is a device that is similar to the Epi-Pen®, however the needle is not visible and the device once activated is able to “talk” and describe how to use the product. This can be helpful in an emergency situation when there is not a person around that has been trained on epinephrine injection. It is meant to be more user friendly and walk the user through the experience of using the drug.	Neffy® is a new product currently under review by the FDA. Though it is not yet available, it could be as early as this year. Neffy is a nasal spray version of epinephrine that can be administered in a patient’s nose and will not require injection with a needle.

Insurance Coverage

Each Insurance plan has its own regulations on which epinephrine product is covered (typically either a brand or generic version of the epinephrine auto injector). Even with insurance, these products are not always cheap, with the average cost of epinephrine injectors being upwards of $600.

For help selecting an epinephrine product or seeking cost savings, call your PeopleOne Personal Pharmacist.

814.297.9960 • help@personalpharmacist.com • www.personalpharmacist.com

View full post