Independent Pharmacies Have Epi-Pen Alternatives

In light of recent price increases of the life-saving device, Epi-pen, there are discussions happenings throughout the media and across industry message boards about lower cost or generic alternatives available to consumers. This situation puts independent pharmacies, as healthcare destinations, in a unique position to offer patients valuable information on Epi-Pen alternatives.

Patients that are lucky enough to have health insurance that covers the cost will likely never see the significant price increase, but those without coverage may have trouble affording $600-$650 prices of the Epi-pen. If a cash paying patient comes in and asks about alternatives or the reimbursement information for Epi-pen you have a few different options you can share.

• Anaphylaxis Kit – This is a much cheaper alternative to auto-injectors, but the patient should receive a thorough consultation on how to properly use the kit, as this is an injection and vial solution. This will cost the patient about $35-$45 dollars.
  • Put the following items in a 5x1x3 box:  
    • 1 ml Adrenaline 1mg/ml
    • 1 ml BD syringe
    • 25g 1 inch needle
    • Sterile alcohol swab
    • Directions: For Anaphylaxis 0.3 to 0.5 mg (0.3 to 0.5 ml) undiluted. Administer the injection intramuscularly (IM) or subcutaneously and repeat every 5 to 10 minutes as necessary.
      
• Epi-pen Savings Card – Some patients may be eligible for the savings program offered by Mylan, but there are restrictions, and the patient will have to fill out a form to determine assistance eligibility.
  
• Adrena-click – This is a slightly lower-cost alternative, though not by much. The drug comes in 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg doses, similar to Epi-pen, but the switch has to be prescribed by the doctor and operating this brand is different from the Epi-pen so ensure your patient understands how the device works before they are in an emergency situation. Additionally, this is only recognized in a few states, for the time being, so you may not have this option for patients.  

Patients may feel that there are no options available to them, but this is where independent pharmacies have the opportunity to step up and bring value to the community. By making your pharmacy a healthcare destination, building a sense of reliability, and providing excellent customer service — you are creating an ambassador for your store. If someone was able to save you hundreds of dollars on a life-saving drug needed for yourself or your child and invested the time to show you how to use it, wouldn’t you continue to come back for other health care needs?