EpiPen’s 400 Percent Price Hike Has Parents Scrambling

sweaterkittensahoy:

afloweroutofstone:

For those who need EpiPens: according to Joyce Lee at Co.Design, the price of the raw materials for making your own epinephrine injection is $6:

Sadly, emergency medical technicians in Washington State can’t even afford to carry standard EpiPens, so they have created their own do-it-yourself epinephrine injection kit. It consists of a vial of epinephrine ($4), and needles ($1). (Yes incredibly, you can buy ampules of epinephrine at a fraction of the cost of an EpiPen, which means that we are paying $600 for a hunk of badly designed plastic.)

The irony is that the DIY solution may be the better designed solution. The cap is at the same end as the needle on a regular syringe, so the inadvertent injection [of the person using the injector, which can occur when using EpiPens,] is less likely to happen. In addition, use of the kits has led to more extensive EMT training in management of allergic reactions—EMTs were often reluctant to use the medication if symptoms weren’t severe—and has led to an increase in the appropriate use of injections, from 40% to over 98%.

Perhaps food allergy patients and caregivers will have to follow the do-it-yourself model of Nightscout, a DIY mobile technology system for diabetes that was created by patients and caregivers. The community helps individuals create their own DIY medical devices in a variety of ways, such as providing open-source code and instructions online, virtual support through a Facebook group, and in-person support through DIY “build” parties.

THERE IS A ZERO DOLLAR CO-PAY CARD HERE. IT WILL CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE. BASICALLY, YOU JUST NEED NON-MEDICADE/CARE INSURANCE, AND YOU SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE. 

Also, check with your doctor. They may have some lying around. I got mine from my allergist, but I’m sure other docs have them lying around.

EpiPen’s 400 Percent Price Hike Has Parents Scrambling