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Monday, September 5th, 2016

Can You Get a Cheaper EpiPen?

Author:     Ginger Skinner
Source:     Consumer Reports
Publication Date:     August 11, 2016
 Link: Can You Get a Cheaper EpiPen?
Stephan:   As you may already have read, the woman who became the CEO of the company that makes the EpiPen more than quadrupled her salary to multiple millions and raised the price of EpiPens to $600. If you don't know what an EpiPen is then you and your family are lucky enough not to have someone who is hyper-sensitive to wasp, and hornet stings -- bee stings are not usually a problem. Those who do have this allergy, particularly children, have to carry an EpiPen at all times, and the usual practice is to keep one at home, and give one to the school nurse because the allergic reaction to a sting can kill you.  Millions of people have this allergy and EpiPens have been the go-to treatment up until now. But the disgusting slavering greed that infects so much of the Pharmaceutical Industry has made the rescue treatment unaffordable to many. I am very mindful of this because someone I love has this allergy so I went looking for what the alternatives are. Here's what I found.

CR-Health-Hero-epipen-07-16.jpg.resizedImage.cropHero.20160820T0824300030400.mdEpiPen is the leading way to treat allergic reactions that are so severe that some people can’t breathe, a condition known as anaphylaxis. To do that, EpiPen (shown left) uses the drug epinephrine, delivered by a unique, patented technology that makes it easy to inject yourself during an emergency; so much so that kids can do it, too. But while a dose of the decades-old drug costs just pennies to make, the self-injectable pen is expensive—GoodRx shows that the cost of a two-pack of EpiPen or Epipen JR starts at around $600.

As children who rely on the life-saving drug return to school, some parents might need to buy multiple pens for their kids as well as for teachers and school nurses, and those expenses can add up fast. Such is the case for Tracy Bush, of Pfafftown, N.C., whose 14-year-old son relies on EpiPen for his allergies to nuts, eggs, and other foods. Bush has watched the price of EpiPen increase over the past nine years from $146 for a two-pack to more than $600. The total cost of Bush’s […]

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