EPI PENS/EMMERADE AUTO INJECTORS peanut allergy

[ohhereweareagain]

not only have i been told by about 14 chemists that there is a shortage of them in the country BUT i have just managed to get my yearly repeat prescription (for my daughter) but instead of there being 4 (2 for home & 2 for school) the prescription was only for 2. Apparently due to cut backs, new government guildelines 2 only.

I am having to pay out for a private gp appointment elsewhere in order to get an additional 2 for my daughter .

Anyone else come up against this or is it my gp surgery decision as opposed to one apparently not in their control?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Sorry OP I don’t have any experience of EPI pens. Hopefully, this will bump for you

[MrsG841]

I work for gp surgery and we have only ever been allowed to issue 2

Is there a particular reason for having 2 at home and school

[PiratePenguin]

We were given 4 at the last appointment but only because DD has asthma as well as an allergy. Many schools now have epi-pens - it cuts the cost of giving each child 2 for school as many, thankfully, remain unused until they expire. I was told by DD consultant that they hope all schools will have epi-pens soon to cut down waste. I can see their point but no good unless all schools have it in place.

[chloesmumtoo]

We had our Epipens replenished at the end of February. GP gave us our 4 without hesitation. I have not heard of any changes.
We have been given four for a long while. 2 for school in theory and 2 for home.
In actual fact dd's secondary school has (1) in their procession at all times and dd has to carry the other school one in her school bag. (Primary kept 2 at all times so slightly different)
Having another 2 for home saves many issues. DD can have a medical bag packed permanently to grab when going out anywhere/out with friends ect. Saves removing the other from the school bag. You could never just go out with the remaining school one (as could need two to save your life) which is what would happen if she was only ever allowed two because school insists on keeping one permanently. Also imagine losing the school bag containing the only life saving medication you owned.
Maybe it is in the process of changing because schools will no longer need our supplies if they have their own? But as yet we have not being restricted.

[ohhereweareagain]

i know they are expensive and i get this is why they want to go the epi pen route but still don't like it, not when you keep reading/hearing about how nhs money gets spent on some things that many people think should not have loads of money thrown at it (that's another conversation that i don't want to go in to). it would be a good money saving idea if a school did have a few thus savings individuals having to each have two for school plus dd despite now being 15, i wouldn't trust her to keep it safe/would worry about her losing or damaging it (by accident). as an older teen/adult it will be her responsibility to keep 2 with her at all times. i had to pay out/see a private gp today and got the two additional ones (i was surprised & lucky that i got the hospitals last 2 epi pens....pharmasist was talking to me about how hard they are to get. on an up note, i noticed that emerade have a fair bit longer expiry date, compared to the epi pens i got today, by 4 months!!! fwiw i think this 4 down to 2 epi pens is a very new thing as the prescription i got a month ago (& still had as have had trouble getting the out of stock items) WAS for 4 but the replacement prescription was for 2.

[ohhereweareagain]

mrsg just saw your note. it was always the protocol (created by hospital specialist dd under treatment of) that both the school & our home have 2. it is all we have ever known and dd has had epi pens since she was about 2

[TwittleBee]

Wow I only got given one for DS and had to really push the 2nd!