General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEpi-Pen Alternatives.....
Seek out and talk to your local 'compounding' pharmacist for possible alternatives to the Epi-Pen auto-injector.
My advice is to talk with both your doctor and a 'compounding' pharmacist. The 'compounding' pharmacist in conjunction with your doctor can come up with an alternative to the high priced epi-pen. The 'compounding' pharmacist can teach you how to draw up a dose of epinephrine and how to inject/or use it.
The auto-injector product used for epi-pen was developed by a company called Survival Technology. The U.S. Military requested Survival Technology to come up with such a product to use for immediate self-injection against nerve agents on the battlefield.
I bet if we investigated this request by the U.S. Military - we would find out that the military provided funds (taxpayer funds) for the development of such a device. It blows my mind that Mylan can now jack the price up 600% for something that perhaps we taxpayers paid for initially.
Epinephrine - used in the epi-pen has been around for many, many years. It is a generic injectable product and is available in ampules and single and multiple dose vials. Again your 'compounding' pharmacist can help in acquiring these dosage forms and instruct you how to use them (i.e., draw them up in a syringe and inject it or teach you how to use the self-injector product that diabetic patients use that I provided a link for above.
Here are some links to alternatives:
Also - here is another link of alternatives: http://www.wildmedcenter.com/uploads/5/9/8/2/5982510/epinephrine.pdf
Here's a link to a video of drawing up epinephrine from a vial into a small syringe:
Note that some diabetic patients have a hard time to give themselves insulin injections. There is a product out there that some of these patients use. Here is a link to that product; http://www.allegromedical.com/diabetic-supplies-c520/autoject-2-self-injection-device-p176268.html?utm_campaign=Comparison%20Shopping&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=feed&CS_003=9164468&CS_010=8ab281020bb66dff010bb6739214093b&gclid=CPKY3OL13c4CFdgWgQod09YFWA&kwid=productads-adid^53190000973-device^c-plaid^159979017853-sku^AJ1300@ADL1EA@ADL4ALLEGRO-adType^PLA#AJ1300_EA
Note that there are other alternatives to this product above that are even more reasonably priced.
Mylan currently has an exclusivity on the pre-filled self injector device called the Epi-Pen. Another version was removed from the market by the FDA and another company called Teva has one in development now that has been hung up by the FDA and has not yet been approved. There is a possibility that the Teva version can be approved by sometime in 2017.
In my opinion - what Mylan has done raising the price of this product borders on criminal. At least we can say that it is un-ethical.
They may be laughing all the way to the bank right now - but if any person dies because they couldn't afford to pay the outrageous price that Mylan has on this drug - I would think they might be a candidate for a law suit.
Note: A 'compounding pharmacy and a compounding pharmacist' is not your typical corner drugstore/pharmacy. Compounding pharmacy's are specialized pharmacies where the pharmacist is an expert in customizing medications (or compounding) from raw approved ingredients because the patient can't for some reason take the patented medications that are available at your local drugstore. It may be because a specialized dosage strength is required; the patient can't swallow what is currently available; a patient might be allergic to some agents in the patented medication and the compounding pharmacist can make a med that won't cause the patient any problems. They are experts in doing this sort of thing and I feel real confident that they can help out a person that can't afford to purchase Mylan's Epi-Pen.
Just know that all is not lost because one can't afford Mylan's version. There are alternatives.
Laffy Kat
(16,377 posts)Draw up the correct dose and self-administer the epi. With a pen you simply flip the cap an inject straight into the thigh.
global1
(25,246 posts)one of these alternatives may save a life.
Also I think a 'compounding' pharmacist may be able to provide standardized pre-filled syringes and a auto-injector device like I posted above that are used by diabetic patients and it might help out the patient you described.
Laffy Kat
(16,377 posts)I think poor people may die. Poor children in particular. It's heartless.
I think it's sick, and bordering on criminal.
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)K&r
unblock
(52,221 posts)i need epis for the school nurse, for the camp nurse, for the babysitter, and for mrs. unblock to use.
eventually mini-unblock will learn how to use it himself.
*nfw* do i want to be carefully drawing up meds and checking for air bubbles while my son is turning blue and i know that seconds count.
mylan highlights the problem, you *cannot* give an effectively unregulated monopoly pricing power in a life-and-death situation.
capitalism *only* works properly with genuine, effective competition. insufficient competition is a problem throughout our supposedly capitalist economy; life-and-death health care merely makes the problem more obvious.
+1
KT2000
(20,577 posts)to forbid compounding pharmacies. There are the usual players like big pharma and the FDA. Please offer your support when you hear about these efforts, to the continuance of these pharmacies as they are essential to so many.
area51
(11,908 posts)One of the things affected should be drug prices.
Lars39
(26,109 posts)Or you can break the need off in the vial!
Vinca
(50,270 posts)He was first prescribed the pre-packaged, pre-filled syringes that were very expensive. After doing some research he found he could buy a vial of insulin and a box of insulin syringes for about half the cost and he's been doing that for over a year. Of course people who might need an "Epi-Pen" are in a totally different situation. Since the drug is generic, someone needs to tweak the design of the delivery system, patent it and sell it to the people who need it for an affordable price. It should be illegal to gouge people on any drug, but especially on life-saving drugs.
global1
(25,246 posts)a new delivery system or administration vehicle would take years to get through the FDA. We're kind of stuck with what we currently have now as I described in my original post and hope that those companies that currently have competive products in the FDA approval pipeline get their products fast tracked.
This might be something Congress can do. Vote to give the FDA the resources to fast track the approval process of competive offerings to Mylan's Epi-Pen.
Vinca
(50,270 posts)the FDA recently ruled against allowing a generic pen delivery system to be sold. It was, they said, almost identical to the Epi-Pen, but of course would have been much cheaper. You have to wonder how many people at the FDA are either bought off or investors in Mylan.
Response to global1 (Original post)
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