What You Need to Know About the Rising Costs of EpiPens

If you or your child has a severe allergy, you’re most likely familiar with the EpiPen. The EpiPen is a life-saving form of medication, comprised of injectable epinephrine, that can treat a bad allergic reaction in emergency situations.

The EpiPen’s substantial increase in cost and subsequent limited access has become a recent topic of controversy. Community Cares Rx wants to keep you informed about the EpiPen’s availability and about ways you can save money when purchasing your life-saving medications.

What’s Going on With the Price?

Since 2004, the cost of EpiPens has more than quadrupled to about $600 per EpiPen. The high cost is driving many customers away, and attracting them toward alternative severe allergy medications. This is becoming a concern among doctors as prescribing appropriate dosages and giving applicable injection instructions becomes more challenging. More than 3.6 million people have an EpiPen prescription, and another half million are prescribed to similar products. Some states even require their schools to stock EpiPens.

The rising cost of EpiPens affects families and schools alike. EpiPens cost about $100 in 2004, but with a 450 percent price increase, one EpiPen can cost more than $600, and two-packs more than $900, so keeping a full stock on hand is nearly impossible to afford.

What’s Being Done About This?

Many states are training their EMTs to utilize epinephrine injections with regular syringes, not EpiPens, which saves thousands of dollars. There is also a push to educate patients on how to use these syringes, because they work just as well and for a fraction of the cost of a $600 EpiPen. While an EpiPen is much simpler to use, the cost savings of using a regular syringe makes it a suitable alternative.

 It is important to do extensive research before purchasing and using generic auto-injector brands. Since the dosage could be different or have a different effect on your body, not having a conversation with your pharmacist or conducting research on the product beforehand could be detrimental to your or your child’s wellbeing.

Community Cares Rx is committed to helping make your prescriptions affordable. We have many partner pharmacies that assist us in passing along discounts to consumers like you, and our pharmacy discount card is free. Use our pharmacy locator to find a participating pharmacy near you and print our free discount card today.

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