Epi Pen PSA -- could save a life!
In addition to my breast cancer, I have the joy of multiple autoimmune diseases. One of them causes me to have anaphylaxis to myself, so in addition to the bi-weekly cancer chemo I receive monthly Immunotherapy. They will not administer it at your appointment unless you have your Epi Pens with you, because the Immunotherapy itself can cause anaphylaxis and you may need it on the ride home.
I had Immunotherapy Monday, and as the chemo fog has fried my brain, I decided to get out my box and check on when my Epi Pens expire while I was sitting there for my 30 minute post delivery observation, My Nurse noticed me looking at the box, and I told her I was checking the expiration date.
She walked over and told me the date I was looking at was only the expiration date of the prescription, not the actual Epinephrine syringe. Where I live, pill bottles and the like typically say “Drug Z, Filled 1-2-33,Good until 1-2-34, 5 refills expires 1-2-34” so Drug Z was good for a year and so was the prescription.
The tag on my Epi Pen box said “Filled 4-10-19 Expires 4-10-20”
She told me that Epi Pens were different, the tag on the box was the date for the prescription expiration only. The medication, the actual Epinephrine expiration dates were only on the syringes themselves. She then proceeded to open the box, remove the sheaths, open them and remove the syringes, and show me the expiration dates.
My Epi Pens had been dispensed in April 2019, and had expired in July of 2019. My Epi Pens, on which my life might depend, had expired SEVEN FREAKING MONTHS AGO. They had had a lifespan of three months.
I was angry, and horrified. They immediately sent a new scrip to my pharmacy of course and I thanked her for telling me as it potentially could have saved my life. I also asked her to inform every single patient who came in that office, and she will.
She told me that every single time I pick up an Epi Pen prescription, immediately go sit in one of the waiting chairs, open up the box, and check the dates on the syringes. If it’s not a year, go back up and demand they take them back and order new syringes with a one year life span, as typically we are renewing them with a few days lee way either way once we know the true expiration date..
If for some reason they refuse call your insurance company and they should raise hell. Apparently this is legal because when the pharmacy gets a scrip and orders the pens, the manufacturer is not sending expired merchandise. And of course, if there’s an issue, the consumer didn’t fulfill their responsibility to check the expiration date.
Two years ago, I anaphylaxed alone at home. It progressed fast, and as soon as I unlocked the front door and called 911, I delivered a pen through my jeans into my thigh. It didn’t stop the progress. They gave me a dose of Epi, and a giant dose of steroids in the ambulance, and they met us with an intubation kit at the hospital.
The responders and Docs in the ED at first were wondering if I had delivered the pen properly of course, but as they quickly removed my clothes they saw the syringe bruise and the drop of dried blood right in the right place. For the remainder of my hospital stay they couldn’t figure out why the Epi Pen hadn’t stopped or at least slowed it down. That’s what they do, they don’t reverse it.
Now I look back and wonder. I had tossed the used pen in the trash immediately, and thrown out the other in it’s box when I came home from the hospital with a new two pack. What if the syringe I had used had expired six or seven or nine months before? What if my new kit had expired four months later?
I am furious, and frightened for those who don’t know, I’ve already contacted my best friend for her husband, and my niece for her little girl. I will be contacting my GP to see if he knew this and every one else I know eventually, and asking them to spread the word.
Check your Epi Pens, tell every one you know, and please signal boost this and REBLOG IT to spread the word.
Thanks guys, and be well. Love xXx
