epi pen substitute

[gardenmom5]

I didn't find the epi pen thread, but I saw this.  our county started doing this in 2013 - a substitute  epi pen for under $20.  it has all the same features, for a whole lot less. 

[Catalytic]

That's really interesting.  Going to share that with my EMT son, thank you!

[ktgrok]

Wow, I actually never would have thought that EMTs used Epi-Pens in the first place! I figured they just had a vial of epinephrine and used a syringe. 

[lexi]

Wow, I actually never would have thought that EMTs used Epi-Pens in the first place! I figured they just had a vial of epinephrine and used a syringe.

Apparently EMT's cannot administer epinephrine from a vial and syringe (at least this is true of the area where I live). They can only administer it using something like an Epi pen.

 

It has to be a paramedic using a syringe.

 

This is really scary to me as many ambulances do not carry an auto injector but only carry vials. And often only EMT's respond. There's no guarantee that you will get a paramedic with an ambulance. (Again, this is true in my area. Could vary by state or county).

Edited August 29, 2016 by lexi

[melmichigan]

Apparently EMT's cannot administer epinephrine from a vial and syringe (at least this is true of the area where I live). They can only administer it using something like an Epi pen.

 

It has to be a paramedic using a syringe.

 

This is really scary to me as many ambulances do not carry an auto injector but only carry vials. And often only EMT's respond. There's no guarantee that you will get a paramedic with an ambulance. (Again, this is true in my area. Could vary by state or county).

This is changing in many area as the cost has gone up.  Some areas are finding it cheaper to invest in the training, then to continue to invest in the Epi pen.  There was a big article on it last week amidst the controversy over cost.  I have to go pick up my Epi pens, and I'm dreading how much they'll cost, I've been running around with expired ones like many of the people mentioned.  For years it was old school, a loaded syringe, so I'm not keen on being limited to an expensive Epi pen, when I've been doing this for decades.

 

ETA: Here's one article about it.

Edited August 29, 2016 by melmichigan

[brehon]

Apparently EMT's cannot administer epinephrine from a vial and syringe (at least this is true of the area where I live). They can only administer it using something like an Epi pen.

 

It has to be a paramedic using a syringe.

 

This is really scary to me as many ambulances do not carry an auto injector but only carry vials. And often only EMT's respond. There's no guarantee that you will get a paramedic with an ambulance. (Again, this is true in my area. Could vary by state or county).

It does vary. Where I work my medical director authorized EMTs to administer epi using the vial & syringe. He stopped authorizing the epi-pens several years ago (>5 years) because of cost.

 

My system is a dual paramedic system; the EMTs who respond are first responders/firefighters. Thankfully my state allows each system's medical director to make decisions for that system. Other states have state wide protocols and the individual systems don't have the same leeway.