Epi Pen single packs will be a thing of the past! This is outrageous.

First, our food allergy community deals with two food allergy related deaths within one week.  Now, we get dealt another blow that I personally believe could possibly lead to more deaths.  I am outraged that Epi Pen® will discontinue selling Epi Pen® in single packs, thus forcing consumers to buy only 2-packs.  I fear this will cause families to simply not carry Epi Pen® and place loved ones at risk.   My LOVE/HATE relationship with Epi Pen® -the makers of our beloved life saving Epi Pen®is growing by the hour!  I love their iPhone App–it is brilliant and will save lives no doubt.  They have developed a brilliant life saving device–kudos again.  But placing up a barrier and limiting access due to cost to life saving medicine is a big pill to swallow.  I know folks who can only afford one Epi Pen®.  What are they suppose to do here? I am trying hard to noodle through this concept.

Here is Dey’s press release (update: the press release is no longer available on line) explaining their plans and reasoning, which in a perfectly cash fluid world, makes good sense and is prudent thinking.
I copied this piece from the Dey Press Release:  The “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States,” which were developed by an expert panel sponsored by the NIAID, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recommend that patients at risk for or who have experienced anaphylaxis have immediate access to two doses of epinephrine.
In all fairness, it is a good practice to carry two auto-injectors as statistics tell us that we may just need a second life saving dose. Hence, why I am spending hundreds of dollars for this fabulous, easy to use life saving devise. I wish every single family I know could afford to carry two Epi Pens® in their pocket and two at school.  Unfortunately, this is not reality.  I believe production on single packs has ceased and the supply will naturally run out.
I spent over $700 on back to school meds this month since my insurance company will not cover Epi Pens® (this is a whole other conversation).  Now, I am able to juggle our finances and skip vacation to cover my children’s Dey needs.  BUT...what about my food allergy friends who are just barely making their bills due to layoffs and our poor economy?  Or my pals who can’t afford health insurance at this time?  When I first started buying Epi Pen’s 11 years ago, they cost $48 each. Now, I am spending $225 for two.  I’m a bit perplexed that as demand has increased so has the price.  What happened to that supply and demand theory we discussed moons ago in school?  Oh yes, I forgot about the monopoly theory!  Hum, can you tell this is making me mad and I’m getting even more sarcastic and a tad meaner than usual.  The glass is usually half full for me, but today someone knocked it over.

This is just not okay.

This hits every superpower-industrialized-country-access-to-health-care nerve in my body.  I am blessed enough that I am able to teach the American Lung Association’s Open Airways for School’s program.  This program brings asthma education directly to asthmatic children at school to learn how to manage their asthma and stay in school.  The number one reason for missed school days is….asthma!  In these workshops, I meet child after child whose family can’t afford to buy one inhaler school and one for home.  These are the folks who have to make a decision: home or school.  If they child is old enough, some states will allow the child to carry the inhaler with proper permission.  I can’t imagine what these families will do when they will be forced to buy two Epi Pens®?  I am assuming they will not make the purchase, send the child to school and say a prayer.
I fear that if consumers are forced to buy two Epi Pens at a time, they simply will not be able to make this purchase and then endanger more food allergic children and adults.  I plan on calling Dey this morning and will report immediately as to what I learn.  I also plan on mailing letters to the various powers that be to share my concerns.
Update (9:50am PST):  I called Dey’s Customer Service department and the representative was very kind and clearly I was her first phone on this.  I mentioned the I run a support group and what is Dey’s response to families who will not be able to afford the recommended 2-pak.  She didn’t have an answer but took my name and number and asked me to call back.  She thought that maybe they were working on addresses this but couldn’t confirm this.