Epinephrine At School

Epinephrine has been the most effective medication to remedy Anaphylaxis when administered quickly.  Many schools are now participating in an Epinephrine For Schools program.  Most schools are now legally permitted to stock and administer Epinephrine to students.  An Epinephrine For Schools program bridges the gap for students that may not have a prescription.  Equal access to an Epinephrine may be limited due to a variety of factors:  

• Branded Epinephrine is too costly for a family.  Many families often must purchase multiple Epinephrine Injectors for the home, school, grandparents home, and possibly for the child to carry.
• Schools may not stock Epinephrine.
• A Generic Epinephrine is not available.
• Parents may act as a Food Allergy Obstructionist disregarding their child's condition as life threatening, and refusing to supply Epinephrine to the school or at home.

Schools that stock Epinephrine are proactive in protecting children with food allergies, and those that may not have been diagnosed with food allergies and have their first reaction at school.  When schools are developing their comprehensive Food Allergy Action Plan, they must consider the alternatives if no medication was administered. In many cases, the time for an ambulance to arrive and administer Epinephrine may be too late. 

Epinephrine Expiration Dates

Epinephrine medication can be a costly, ongoing expense for individuals with food allergies.  Always be certain that new prescriptions for Epinephrine have an expiration date is at least 1 year from purchase date. Epinephrine has a 1 year shelf life.  Oftentimes, Schools and patients will receive medication with less than one year remaining on the expiration. For a family purchasing multiple auto-injectors that go unused, Epinephrine has become a major household expense.