Can I Require Epi-Pen?

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

The EpiPen brand only comes in a two-pack, so your parents should have a second one that stays with you. That's how we do it with our daughter.

They come as a 2 pack because in most places it will take longer than the 15 minutes that the 1st shot lasts for, for an ambulance to arrive and for them to be transported. Keep the 2 pack together!! You may need both!

[Mike]

They come as a 2 pack because in most places it will take longer than the 15 minutes that the 1st shot lasts for, for an ambulance to arrive and for them to be transported. Keep the 2 pack together!! You may need both!

That's good to know. Can get expensive having to have 2 at each location, but then, how much is your child worth?

[Pestle]

Yes, that is good to know! Fortunately, both my daughter's school and my house are within 3 blocks of a hospital.

[laundrymom]

I require one to be left here as its a basic medical need. I understand they're expensive, but what price would a parent out on a child's life? It's an issue I won't waiver on. No pen. No care.

[MrsSteinel'sHouse]

and my daughter's doc wrote out the prescription for 2 sets as the prescribed amount and my insurance covered it. So she had one at school (teacher) and one at home.

[KSDC]

I have a child with an epi. Her family keeps it in a small bag that is handed to me when she walks in the door. No epi, no stay. The bag is then hung on a high hook in my office behind a child safety gate. Easy for me to reach, near on impossible for any of my munchkins.

[Leigh]

The EpiPen brand only comes in a two-pack, so your parents should have a second one that stays with you. That's how we do it with our daughter.

The cost is extraordinary, yes, and most insurance only covers a small portion of it, yes. We had the Auvi-Q, which the allergist gave us a manufacturer's coupon for, and I think the upfront cost was much less. But then GENCO had a recall on the Auvi-Q, so now we have the EpiPen again.

I have read that it's possible for parents to have a compounding pharmacy create a generic epinephrine solution for you and give you a syringe for it. You could see if your family's allergist would consider that.

Apparently, there's a third competing brand called Adrenaclick. We'll be looking into that when our current EpiPens expire.

Actually, a provider should have both pens from a pack-they come in pairs so that there is a spare in case of failure, and because if you can't get to emergency personnel within 15 minutes, you're supposed to administer the 2nd dose.

But, YES, there is at least one alternative auto-injector that is much cheaper, and epinephrine + syringe is another option (I'd require the auto injector for daycare and let the parents deal with syringe, though, because of liability-you don't want to inject a vein!).

[Leigh]

Actually, a provider should have both pens from a pack-they come in pairs so that there is a spare in case of failure, and because if you can't get to emergency personnel within 15 minutes, you're supposed to administer the 2nd dose.

But, YES, there is at least one alternative auto-injector that is much cheaper, and epinephrine + syringe is another option (I'd require the auto injector for daycare and let the parents deal with syringe, though, because of liability-you don't want to inject a vein!).

And, I see that others have already said what I did.

[galaxy]

Yes. I follow army childcare guidelines and if a child has an allergy map and it says they need an epi it must be kept in care. Emergency rescue meds are kept in a red backpack and go with us every where including outside even if we are just going to be in the yard.

[Blackcat31]

A little off topic from original post but still interesting info about cost of EpiPens

http://usuncut.com/class-war/pharma-ceo-epipen/

"The pharmaceutical company that cornered the market on the life-saving EpiPen and dramatically increased its price also jacked up the pay of top executives.

Between 2007, when Mylan acquired the patent for the EpiPen, to 2015, the wholesale price had skyrocketed from $56.64 to $317.82 — a price increase of 461 percent. Similarly, compensation for Mylan CEO Heather Bresch increased astronomically over the same time period. According to NBC News, Bresch went from making $2.453,456 in 2007 to $18,931,068 in 2015, amounting to a 671 percent raise over eight years.

But Bresch wasn’t alone in the windfall resulting from the rising price of the EpiPen. Mylan’s president, Rajiv Malik, saw his base pay increase by 11 percent to $1 million annually as of 2015, while Mylan Chief Commercial Officer Anthony Mauro got a 13.6 percent raise, amounting to $625,000 per year.

Millions of people with life-threatening allergies, particularly food allergies, depend on the EpiPen for survival. When used, the EpiPen provides an emergency dosage of epinephrine to the user, inhibiting a potentially fatal allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, from occurring.

The rising cost of the EpiPen also mirrored Mylan’s stock price increase over the same time period. In the two years after Mylan acquired the EpiPen patent, the price increased by a 5 percent rate. In 2009, the price of the EpiPen increased by a whopping 19 percent. And in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, the price went up by another ten percent each year. The price then shot up rapidly from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2016, skyrocketing by 15 percent twice a year.

Conversely, between 2007 and 2015, Mylan’s stock price tripled, going from $13.29 per share in 2007 to a high of $47.59 in 2016. As of this writing, Mylan’s stock is hovering around $45.68 per share on the NASDAQ index, with MarketWatch rating Mylan’s stock as “Bullish.” According to Bloomberg, the EpiPen now accounts for roughly 40 percent of Mylan’s profits.

Mylan’s greedy business practices are attracting the rancor of parents and politicians alike. On Monday afternoon, a coalition of U.S. Senators, led by Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, penned a letter to Mylan CEO Heather Bresch demanding she justify her company’s dramatic price increase of the life-saving device.

“This outrageous increase in the price of EpiPens is occurring at the same time that Mylan Pharmaceutical is exploiting a monopoly market advantage that has fallen into its lap,” Sen. Klobuchar said in a public statement. “Patients all over the U.S. rely on these products, including my own daughter. Not only should the Judiciary Committee hold a hearing, the Federal Trade Commission should investigate these price increases immediately.”

As of Tuesday evening, Mylan had not responded to the request for a Senate hearing. The Other 98%, a progressive action group, has launched a petition calling on Mylan to make the EpiPen affordable for everyone"

If you are interested in signing the petition, use this link:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-epipen-profiteering-drop-the-price-of-this-lifesaving-medicine-now

[Mike]

I signed.

I hate when companies use monopoly to their advantage. For a product people don't need, charge whatever you want. For a product that saves lives, give it to a non profit organization.

[MarinaVanessa]

accidental death, failure to provide medical provisions and possible loss of business and person assets far exceeds $500.

Agree completely.

I require one. If a parent couldn't afford an Epi pen then I'd be genuinely sorry for the family but I wouldn't take on that risk in liability.

I have to remind myself constantly that their issues are not my issues and not to make them my issues at the risk of my business.

[laundrymom]

This. Exactly.
I'm a childcare provider.
I'm not the parent.
It's not my responsibility to figure out "how THEY provide" only that they provide it.
I know it's expensive but it's part of being a parent. Especially when a child has special needs. It's not
Fair. It isn't fun. And it's no ones fault. But it still is part of being a parent.

Agree completely.

I require one. If a parent couldn't afford an Epi pen then I'd be genuinely sorry for the family but I wouldn't take on that risk in liability.

I have to remind myself constantly that their issues are not my issues and not to make them my issues at the risk of my business.