Oh my. I’ve been using the term Epi Pen® in the same way we use the term Kleenex.com. Sadly, I was in high school when I realized that Kleenex.com was a brand name and facial tissues is what I’ve been blowing snot into! Selena, who pens Amazing and Atopic wrote a great blog post, “Epinephrine Auto-injectors; The Kleenex Effect” about this topic in regards to changing our mind-set since there will be an additional epinephrine auto-injector on the market soon. Epi Pen® is a household name and will always be so-just like Kleenex.com!
It’s going to be tricky to start saying epinephrine auto-injector instead of Epi Pen®as we make room for new choices in the anaphylaxis rescue medication world! So many documents clearly state Epi Pen® instead of epinephrine. To be honest, if you would have asked me if I was carrying epinephrine for my son right after he was diagnosed, I would have cheerfully said, “no, I am carrying two Epi Pens®!” Side bar: we’ve always carried two Epi Pen® just in case we biffed using the first injector.
photo courtesy of Kleenex.com
Guess it is time to start practicing! I’m curious if folks will begin to call the Auvi-Q epinephrine auto-jector the talking Epi Pen®?
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!..
I try to use the term auto-injector. There are so many different versions and for those in Europe, the Epipen is not commonly used. Everyone uses an auto-injector though. Maybe we should all just say Epinephrine. It would help to separate it from Benedryl which will NOT work on anaphylaxis.
Maybe we can find good short forms for ‘epinephrine’ and while you’re at it ‘anaphylaxis” my finger is cramping at having to type them so often! 🙂
Susan, my school nurses always call it epi and I could never figure out if they were shortening Epi Pen vs epinephrine. If there is just one word I want removed from my life, it would anaphylaxis for ALL reasons–health and typing. Do you know how many times I mis-spell that word? Hum…now to find a new term….
Personally I think I will always call them Epi-Pens, it’s faster and everyone (mostly) knows what it means! But that doesn’t mean I wont try another brand. When I write Kleenex on my shopping list that doesn’t mean I won’t buy the store brand, I get whatever is the best deal.
I think the most important thing is that people are carrying them with them ALL THE TIME!
=)
Caitie, you know you are right. I’ll tell hubby to pick up Kleenex and sometimes he buys that brand and sometimes not. Although, I agree with you on the carrying. CARRY ALL the TIME. Now, I’m a carry two believer as well.
Thank you so much for sharing my post! I think the “calling it a talking EpiPen” thing might subside, once people hold it and realize that it’s simply not a pen, at all. It doesn’t look like a pen, it doesn’t feel like a pen, it’s not shaped like a pen. 🙂
Selena, that was a great post indeed. Once someone holds an Auvi-Q, it is so destinctly different in feel, size and now…sound!
Just talking about them at home, we’ve already labeled them as epi and auvi
Aggie, now you are efficient! I heard from an allergist the Auvi-Q hits the market tomorrow? Of course, I’m probably going to cave and call up my local pharmacy to see who is stocking them.