Treatment Options for Patients During an EpiPen Shortage

The FDA recently announced that EpiPens would be joining the list of its products currently in limited supply. Triggered by manufacturing delays, the shortage is expected to be short-term and products are still available, despite the limited supply. Customers were instructed to contact the manufacturer, Mylan, who will assist them in locating alternative pharmacies if they are experiencing difficulty finding products. Mylan reports that progress is being made as seen by the fact that their shipping rates have increased over the last few months. They claim that the shortage is rapidly and "continuously evolving."

Despite this shortage, there are still a number of treatment alternatives that patients can consider besides the traditional EpiPen. Auvi-Q has been rising in popularity and has been well received due to its convenient pocket-size epinephrine auto-injection product. There are various types of generic epinephrine auto-injectors available at the pharmacy as well. As a last resort, patients could consider drawing doses of epinephrine from a vial and storing a few loaded syringes in the refrigerator while keeping one on them at all times. While this shortage may seem frightening to those who rely off of their EpiPen for life-saving measures, there are still many safe and convenient options for individuals to practice during this time. For more information, please follow the link below.