Epinephrine injection is used to treat anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe and fast reaction to something -like bee sting, peanuts, penicillin and such.
What is available now?
EpiPen and EpiPen Jr -these are brand name epinephrine auto-injectors. EpiPen has 0.3mg of epinephrine which is used for adults and kids bigger then ~60 lbs. EpiPen Jr has 0.15mg of epinephrine and is used in people that weigh less than 60 lbs.
Adrenaclick – this is a generic epinephrine auto-injector. It is also available in 0.3mg and 0.15mg. This is a generic but not the generic of EpiPen.
What will be available soon?
EpiPen GENERIC- this means if your prescriber gives a prescription for EpiPen, you can now get a generic!!
Auvi-Q- this is an epinephrine auto-injector that TALKS to you! This was taken off the market previously but is being reintroduced. It is meant to be easier to use because it will talk you through your steps of injecting the epinephrine.
So…?!
So, now the following will be available: EpiPen, EpiPen generic, Adrenaclick and Auvi-Q. These are all the same medication. However, in the weird laws of pharmacy, they cannot be automatically substituted for each other.
Speak with your provider about which one you want and ask her to prescribe exactly what you want or better yet ask her to write “Epinephrine Auto-Injector” with appropriate mg (0.15mg or 0.3mg). If she writes it like this, then you can work with the pharmacist to figure out which best works for you -including cost.
What are the differences between the auto-injectors?
There are some differences -Adrenaclick has 2 safety caps whereas EpiPen, EpiPen generic and AuviQ have 1 safety cap. Adrenaclick also needs to be held to the thigh for 10 seconds which is longer then AuviQ -5 seconds and EpiPen (and generic) -3 seconds.
What is the cost?
This depends on your insurance and discounts but cash price is:
EpiPen Brand -$600
EpiPen GENERIC ~ $300
AuviQ ~ $4500
Adrenaclick ~$120 (for 2 pens)
Coupons?!
As most people know that need epinephrine auto-injectors, it is recommended to have at least 2 auto-injectors with you at all times. If you have kiddos, this means auto-injectors at the school too! This can get quite pricey. Here are some coupon links:
Do you have any tips to affording epinephrine auto-injector pens? Please let us know!
Our FREE Pharmacy Discount Card -you can take this card into the pharmacy and just ask them to run it for this or any of your other medications and see how much you can save!