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Lets get some facts cleared up here.
Firstly, they are Adrenalin Auto-injectors. Epipen is merely a brand, so talking about administering an epipen is like saying you're going to put the Hoover around, yet it might be a Dyson, Panasonic, Samsung etc, etc.
There are currently 3 auto-injector brands on the UK market, Epipen, Jext, and Emerade, as Anapen voluntarily withdrew from the UK market about 3 years ago following concerns about possible mechanism failures causing it not to work. However, I believe they are launching an improved device in the markets they still operate in. So it may yet come back into UK use.
NOTE: For those of you who may be outside the UK, there are other brands available internationally, including Anapen, and in some countries only a single one of the brands is licensed, including some EU countries.
The legal ability for anyone to administer an auto-injector goes back many years to when they first introduced regulations that only medical professionals could administer medication to other persons.
It is currently included in the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 Schedule 19, 'Medicinal products for parenteral administration in an emergency'.
I believe the OP and teh boy are confusing adrenalin supplies with the changes for asthma inhalers that came about in the 2014 Amendment which now allows schools to obtain those prescription only medicines. There is a bit of a campaign to do the same for adrenalin, but as far as I'm aware it has not yet been successful and indeed adrenalin is a bit more dangerous than an inhaler. Many other conditions can affect the use of adrenalin and the devices come in different sizes, basically dependant on body mass.
Back on track... All the various brands have different operating methods, thus why some training is a very good idea if more than 1 person involved.
Plus, it must be given intramuscularly, not into a blood vessel or flab, there are also several other significant training points. I won't go into all the issues as it will make this post far too long.
But ultimately, irrespective of what the HSE says about being trained, if faced with an unconscious anaphylatic suffering breathing difficulties, just get their pen, read the instructions on it if need be, and use the darn thing. It's very likely the only think that will stop them dying in front of you while you dither about what to do.
There are a lot of similarities with the current situation regarding AEDs; the HSE say "it is important that those who may use it are appropriately trained." yet the Resus Council UK clearly says ...
"AEDs have been used by untrained people to save life. Clear, spoken instructions and visual illustrations guide users through the process. Lack of training (or recent refresher training) should not be a barrier to someone using one. If you are prepared to use the AED do not be inhibited from doing so."
If you have an employee who carries an autoinjector, there is nothing to stop them showing colleagues how it should be administer if the employee is incapable of doing it themselves due to the sudden severity of the attack.
Equally, you may choose to get more formal instruction. There are organisations that go as far as offering a Ofqual L2 award in 'Recognition and immediate treatment of Anaphylaxis' and similar titles.
I know of one young lady who was a recent FAW delegate on a course I was instructing, who has obtained sufficient injectors on prescription that there is one in each of the FAK in her work area, so that any of her FAW colleagues can get to a pen if she needs one. She had shown all of them what to do and it is her responsibility to make sure they remain in date.
She works in a retail food store and has a very severe nut allergy. Secondary transfer of peanut, perhaps even via a child's sweaty hand print, could set her off!
So my guidance would be, depending on the size of the organisation, get some training for the staff. If it's a small team, with just one person affected, get them to show their colleagues what to do, simple as that.
if you're a larger concern, get someone to deliver some more formal training.
See the Anaphylaxis UK website for more info.
http://www.anaphylaxis.o...h-anaphylaxis/medication
One final thing, if you're dealing with Americans/Canadians, or people whose English is North American based, they are unlikely to know what Adrenaline is; they call it Epinephrine.
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 1 user thanked Route66 for this useful post.
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