The EpiPen that cost $75 in 2001 costs over $300 today

[robinb]

Mylan is mainly a generic company, I seriously doubt the Epipen price hike contributed much to their bottom line as a percentage.

Actually, the EpiPen provides 40% of their operating profit. Let THAT sink in for a moment.

 

[JaxDad]

I really have no horse in this race because we don't need EpiPens, but I am very angry about this. I read somewhere (but can't find it now) that Mylan had been negotiating with insurance companies prior to Teva losing their FDA approval and and Auvi-Q being taken off the market. After that, they held a monopoly and all negotiations went out the window.

...and the CEO's father is US Senator Joseph Manchin, D-WV. I wonder if that played into any of this.

 

[kimblebee]

Braggart!

It was a little bit, but I really do sympathize with everyone on this thread. I can't imagine having to give up a medication that would save my life because I can't afford it.

I am about to start a med with a price tag of $90K for 5 IV treatments. I think I read it's $156K in the States. Would any insurance plan cover the whole thing? Would a Cadillac plan? I'm lucky because my provincial drug plan sees it as essential so I don't have to pay.

 

[robinb]

...and the CEO's father is US Senator Joseph Manchin, D-WV. I wonder if that played into any of this.

It may have helped her with her lobbying efforts. They increased drastically when she became CEO: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000027765

 

[robinb]

It was a little bit, but I really do sympathize with everyone on this thread. I can't imagine having to give up a medication that would save my life because I can't afford it.

I am about to start a med with a price tag of $90K for 5 IV treatments. I think I read it's $156K in the States. Would any insurance plan cover the whole thing? Would a Cadillac plan? I'm lucky because my provincial drug plan sees it as essential so I don't have to pay.

{{hugs}} I hope your treatments go well.

 

[kimblebee]

{{hugs}} I hope your treatments go well.

Thank you.

 

[ronandannette]

I see no way to respond to that without a political discussion ensuing, so I'll have to pass.

And you're wise to do so. Public v.s. Private health care is an extremely complex issue - much more so than any pithy one-liner would make it seem.

 

[TheJuiciestOfJs]

Actually, the EpiPen provides 40% of their operating profit. Let THAT sink in for a moment.

Source? Id like to read up.

 

[ols386]

If you can get to Canada, you can buy them without a prescription for $125 CAD. So not fair how the drug companies hold you hostage in the US!

That's how it should be in the U.S.

 

[gmboy95]

Who pays for this human right?

Is it basic health care that is the right? Or top of the line, "Cadillac" care?

That "law" is kind of vague.

We do, the people...we end for profit insurance

 

[robinb]

Source? Id like to read up.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ned-the-epipen-into-a-billion-dollar-business

 

[bcla]

For those of you that don't know, there is a generic available. They are a bit cheaper than Epi-Pens.

Also another option, if the person at hand feels competent in their ability to do this, is to get an epinephrine vial and syringe. The big downside is having to draw up the dose when it's needed. But this is MUCH cheaper than the auto injectors.

At that dose I don't even think they call them vials. There are big vials with maybe 100 times the dose (30 mg total) of an EpiPen, and designed to be used for multiple doses for whatever purpose. There are also different concentrations. While it costs less than an EpiPen, that's probably enough to kill someone if stressed out and they even make the tiniest of mistakes and injects too much. I was reading that the 1 ml versions come in glass "ampules" that need to be broken, and I don't believe they're generally sold for emergency anaphylaxis treatment, but for other more controlled uses. I guess that's easy enough when not stressed out. If I were panicking, I don't know if I could keep the ampule vertical enough to avoid spilling it, and in any case it has to be snapped off. Then it would need to be drawn with the syringe. On top of that, it could still be dangerous or even fatal to give too much since it has 3 times the dose of an EpiPen.

I remember someone doing a presentation in class, and the subject was the instructions for his allergy shots. He showed a used old-fashioned syringe that was preloaded by the manufacturer with epinephrine. It came with a bunch of instructions on a piece of paper. I don't think these are even sold any more. Then he showed us his unused EpiPen, how the instructions were clear (and on the device) and said something about how it would probably feel like getting stabbed.

 

[kimblebee]

At that dose I don't even think they call them vials. There are big vials with maybe 100 times the dose (30 mg total) of an EpiPen, and designed to be used for multiple doses for whatever purpose. There are also different concentrations. While it costs less than an EpiPen, that's probably enough to kill someone if stressed out and they even make the tiniest of mistakes and injects too much. I was reading that the 1 ml versions come in glass "ampules" that need to be broken, and I don't believe they're generally sold for emergency anaphylaxis treatment, but for other more controlled uses. I guess that's easy enough when not stressed out. If I were panicking, I don't know if I could keep the ampule vertical enough to avoid spilling it, and in any case it has to be snapped off. Then it would need to be drawn with the syringe. On top of that, it could still be dangerous or even fatal to give too much since it has 3 times the dose of an EpiPen.

I remember someone doing a presentation in class, and the subject was the instructions for his allergy shots. He showed a used old-fashioned syringe that was preloaded by the manufacturer with epinephrine. It came with a bunch of instructions on a piece of paper. I don't think these are even sold any more. Then he showed us his unused EpiPen, how the instructions were clear (and on the device) and said something about how it would probably feel like getting stabbed.

I had to be injected a few years ago after eating a brownie with walnuts in it. It makes my throat close so I'm usually careful, it was my mom who gave it to me, and I don't carry an epi pen. Luckily we were within 10 minutes of a hospital and I was brought back right away after I told the triage nurse I was allergic to nuts and I had just eaten some. I don't remember everything but I do know within 2 minutes I was hooked up to an IV and I had a epinephrine shot. It felt like it was given with a dull straw and the site hurt for a good few days. Within a minute my heart rate felt like it had tripled and I couldn't stop shaking. I actually lost my voice for two days too..apparently I talked once too many times and it messed up my throat or something. I was in the hospital for three or four hours but it was the next day before I felt normal again. Epinephrine is no joke..

 

[bcla]

I had to be injected a few years ago after eating a brownie with walnuts in it. It makes my throat close so I'm usually careful, it was my mom who gave it to me, and I don't carry an epi pen. Luckily we were within 10 minutes of a hospital and I was brought back right away after I told the triage nurse I was allergic to nuts and I had just eaten some. I don't remember everything but I do know within 2 minutes I was hooked up to an IV and I had a epinephrine shot. It felt like it was given with a dull straw and the site hurt for a good few days. Within a minute my heart rate felt like it had tripled and I couldn't stop shaking. I actually lost my voice for two days too..apparently I talked once too many times and it messed up my throat or something. I was in the hospital for three or four hours but it was the next day before I felt normal again. Epinephrine is no joke..

Somehow the conversation went to someone whose friend mistakenly ingested something that could cause anaphylaxis. He said he didn't have an EpiPen and what they did instead was give him something like 200 mg (I think he knew how much from his doctor) of Benadryl. I asked - didn't it completely knock him out, and he said yes but it was better than dying.

Still - I'm not sure how great an idea it would be to have non-medical people drawing a very dangerous medication under stressful conditions. The thing about an EpiPen is that it's pretty foolproof.

 

[kimblebee]

Somehow the conversation went to someone whose friend mistakenly ingested something that could cause anaphylaxis. He said he didn't have an EpiPen and what they did instead was give him something like 200 mg (I think he knew how much from his doctor) of Benadryl. I asked - didn't it completely knock him out, and he said yes but it was better than dying.

Still - I'm not sure how great an idea it would be to have non-medical people drawing a very dangerous medication under stressful conditions. The thing about an EpiPen is that it's pretty foolproof.

I agree, there's no way I'd trust a person to grab a syringe and vial of meds in a moment of panic.

 

[Christine]

Prior to nut allergies being so widespread and Epi-Pens, I feel like 20 years ago when we were just starting this journey with my son that besides the Epi-Pen, they used to sell these "kits" for beestings. Ana-kits or something like that. Anyone remember?

 

[Hikergirl]

Prior to nut allergies being so widespread and Epi-Pens, I feel like 20 years ago when we were just starting this journey with my son that besides the Epi-Pen, they used to sell these "kits" for beestings. Ana-kits or something like that. Anyone remember?

Yes, my aunt had one of those. It was way more than 20 years ago but I remember her carrying it around with her. It had a needle in it and medicine.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Prior to nut allergies being so widespread and Epi-Pens, I feel like 20 years ago when we were just starting this journey with my son that besides the Epi-Pen, they used to sell these "kits" for beestings. Ana-kits or something like that. Anyone remember?

Yep. I didn't know the name of the kit, because it was for me and I was a kid. That was much more than 20 years ago. I think the EpiPen has only been around for about 20-30 years.

I don't have a nut allergy, but a sting allergy. And I always had a 2 prong approach. The first step was steroids and Benadryl. Then, if I still reacted, the shot. And it wasn't in a pen. Even now, with the pen, I am only suppose to do it after the steroids and Benadryl.

 

[bcla]

I agree, there's no way I'd trust a person to grab a syringe and vial of meds in a moment of panic.

EpiPen replaced a traditional syringe that came filled in a sterile package (remember the scene from Pulp Fiction?). I suppose the only reason why that's not being done any more is that there's no real money to be made doing it.

I found this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20527517

Abstract
The commercially available auto-injector epinephrine is considerable expensive. Epinephrine prefilled syringe is an alternative treatment for anaphylaxis patients. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the stability and sterility of epinephrine prefilled syringe. Epinephrine prefilled syringe was kept in the pencil box to prevent from light exposure. The active ingredients, integrity and level of potency were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The sterility was accessed by aerobic bacteria and fungi culture. The epinephrine concentration at 1, 2 and 3 months after the preparation was 101.36, 99.31 and 101.09%, respectively (acceptable range 90 - 110%). The pH was 3.17 - 3.23 (acceptable range 2.8 - 3.6). Nor-epinephrine was undetected. The cultures for bacteria and fungus were both negative. Consequently, epinephrine prefilled syringe was stable and sterile at least three month after preparation. Epinephrine prefilled syrine is an alternative low cost treatment for anaphylaxis patient.

 

[gmboy95]

My only issue with things like this, and this is less political and much more about morality....No one in this country should ever have to pay a bill or go into debt because they needed to have their lives saved after eating a peanut...as stated before, the idea that our healthcare system at any level is a "for profit" enterprise is ridiculous!.