In recent weeks, families grappling with allergies have been dismayed by Mylan’s shocking decision to double the price of EpiPens, raising the cost of a two-pack auto-injector to an eye-watering $608 from last year’s $425. This steep increase has sparked outrage across the allergy community and even caught the attention of lawmakers advocating for drug pricing reforms. Many parents now face the tough choice of securing necessary life-saving medication for their children or managing their already strained budgets.
However, Dr. Emily Ross, an Emergency Medicine Physician at Riverside Medical Center in Ohio, has proposed a cost-effective alternative to Mylan’s exorbitant pricing. And get this: it costs less than ten dollars!
Dr. Ross highlights that the active ingredient in EpiPens is just plain epinephrine. Instead of relying on a costly auto-injector, parents can opt for a $6 multi-dose vial of epinephrine, a syringe, and an Altoids tin. “It’s concerning to see families having to choose between carrying an essential life-saving tool and putting food on the table,” Dr. Ross shared with a local news outlet. “I bought this vial for $5.99—no insurance needed.”
Epinephrine can be prescribed in multi-dose vials, similar to how insulin is prescribed for diabetes. Doctors can write prescriptions for these vials along with syringes for patients who require epinephrine in case of allergic reactions. Parents can easily learn to draw the appropriate dosage, which the doctor calculates based on the child’s weight, and can store everything neatly in an Altoids tin for emergencies.
This solution is so straightforward that it’s baffling that Mylan continues to charge such inflated prices. Parents can effectively keep a preloaded syringe ready to go and administer the medication just as quickly, if not faster, than with an EpiPen. For a mere $10, many parents would be willing to learn this method. If you find yourself in this situation, consulting with your physician about this affordable option is definitely worth considering.
Most schools have registered nurses trained to administer injections, and it falls well within their scope of practice with a doctor’s order. School nurses routinely give insulin injections to diabetic students, meaning that switching to multi-dose vials could save districts a significant amount each year—funds that could be redirected to educational resources.
Hats off to Dr. Ross for not only saving families a considerable amount of money but also highlighting the injustice of Mylan’s pricing. While Mylan has announced a generic version of their EpiPen, it still costs a staggering $300 for a two-pack—far more than the $6 vial of epinephrine. This situation underscores that life-saving medication should not be priced out of reach for those who need it.
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In summary, there is an effective and budget-friendly alternative to the expensive EpiPen, thanks to Dr. Ross’s innovative approach. Parents can use a multi-dose vial of epinephrine to ensure they have access to life-saving medication without breaking the bank.