Last night I did it. I purchased (4) two packs of Epi Pens®. There was good news and bad news during my visit to the Epi Pens® pharmacy. Alas, my love/hate relationship continues with Epi Pens®, but in all honesty I am very grateful for our access to Epi Pens® and information Mylan has available online. I have received emails from readers in the Far East who do not have access to Epi Pens® and they must purchase vials of epinephrine and needles. I truly do not believe that during an emergency I could manage those two items or expect my children to do the same. Nevertheless, my experience last night was most interesting.
The Bad News was…
[unordered_list style=”red-x”]- The cost of a two pack of www.needymeds.org was $240.92
- That I needed to buy (4) two packs of www.needymeds.org.
- I spent over $900 on epineprhine auto-injectors in one fell swoop.
- I have a high deductible and my insurance does not cover auto-injectors.
- I was lured into allowing my daughter to play the claw machine at Epi Pens® and am now the proud owner of a new pink Teddy Bear (but is that really a bad thing)?
My daughter just crossed the thresh hold and now is able to use the adult sized Epi Pens®. One Epi Pens® will be kept in the nurse’s office at school and the other will be kept in her backpack in the classroom. The other two are kept in my purse as back ups. My son carries two adult sized auto-injectors on him at all times and then two will go to his school’s office as well. My kids carry two auto-injectors in the event one is not administered properly or there is a biphasic reaction (a second reaction) and a second injection is needed. Two is a must in our family.
The Good News is…
[unordered_list style=”star”]- My Epi Pens®worked! I saved $20 on each child’s purchase for a grand total of $40! Every penny counts.
- The pharmacist called me over to direct me to www.needymeds.org and showed me the Mylan Specialty Epi Pen Patient Assistance Program (Judie, if you are reading this…you are right…a savvy pharmacist may direct patients to programs, etc) on his smart phone. Even though I don’t qualify, I was impressed that he was concerned about my hefty spending at the counter and was trying to help out.
- I have the comfort of knowing my children will be as safe as they can be by having access to easy to use epinephrine auto-injectors.
- Again, I have access to www.needymeds.org where as many foreign countries do have this access.
- www.needymeds.org is now available in generic tablets, so I only paid $56! Yahoo.
- I know have four new trainer pens.
There just has to be a good solution out there to help the average American to have access to life saving emergency epinephrine! Hum…maybe this will be our next advocacy goal?
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Wow, I’m sorry you have to pay so much for your Epi Pens. I was paying around $75 for each two pack which I thought was a lot but now with our new insurance I’m thankful that I just had to pay $25.
What age do they move from the jr to adult size?
Hi Amy, when I got home, I showed my husband the bag and said, “here look at Christmas vacation…it’s a in white bag”. Thank God we have a sense of humor! They kids move up according to weight and I believe the magic number is around 66 pounds, but you should check in with your doctor. At my daughter’s well child visit she was just under, so we knew that buying new Epi Pens were coming for fall. Ah, at least the purchase is done. Now, we’re just cleaning closets and getting ready for my daughter’s first day of school on Monday! Have a fun weekend!
Great post, Caroline!! Keep providing parents with info & resources. You’re amazing!
Thanks…I just praying I can find a really great coupon or discount. It is just heartbreaking that our access to life saving medications is troublesome for many.