For Sale: Anyone needs an Epi-Pen?

[sailingmonica]

Just in case anyone may need self injecting epinephrine for life threatening allergies, like shellfish or peanuts, we bought more pens than we may need, and are offering the extras at our cost, which is two for $300. Currently in Boca Raton, cruising South.

[KP44]

I doubt I can buy or possess an epi-pen without a prescription. Thanks.

[sailingmonica]

Originally Posted by KP44

I doubt I can buy or possess an epi-pen without a prescription. Thanks.

It is an anti allergic product, and we do not need a prescription to purchase it in Canada. Our travel health consultant recommended that we get a few just in case, for man o war stings or other such things, but we feel having two is enough, having four is too many. That is why I thought I would offer them to someone who may need them.

[Jim Cate]

what is their expiry date? IIRC, they have a woefully short shelf life.

JIm

[sailingmonica]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

what is their expiry date? IIRC, they have a woefully short shelf life.

JIm

February 2018. One year from now.

[gts1544]

DRUG EXPIRATION DATE FALLACY - My wife carries an Epi-Pen due to her shellfish allergy and as you know, the price has escalated unreasonably.

Several years ago, I was having dinner with two pre-eminent grey haired doctors in Denver and I asked them about drug expiration dates. They assured me that those dates are a creation of big pharma and their overpaid lawyers.

With rare exceptions, OTC and prescription drugs retain their full potency far beyond their published expiration dates and then only lose about 10-15% of their potency beyond that, with no health danger due to consumption other than reduced potency.

There are a few exceptions to that and they are mostly heart attack related drugs whose names can easily be found. We stopped replacing my wife's Epi-Pens at the expiration date several years ago and she simply carries an extra expired one in case more epineferine is needed. We have saved a bundle!

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN MD, NOR A PHARMACIST.

[Boatguy30]

Nor have you needed to test it!

Kinda like expired epirbs?

[gts1544]

Boatguy30,

Au Contraire, I have used a number of "expired" drugs that have worked just fine, however, to each his own! I have no dog in this hunt. Simply providing information that has benefitted me in the wallet!


I don't see the analogy.


George

[fstbttms]

"Federal law prohibits the transfer of this drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was prescribed."

Just sayin'

[Wotname]

FWIW, no prescription is needed for Epi-pens in Australia; in fact many schools, childcare facilities and restaurants etc have one or two on hand for "public" use.

However if they are prescribed by a MD, they are considerably cheaper than otherwise.

[Doug Brown]

There is a on going test on the "expiration dates / loss of potency" conducted by - I believe - the US Dept. of Defense concerning this.

They have been doing this testing since WWI - like from 1917 or so onward - and have found that drugs only lose a VERY SMALL amount potency (if at all) and are safe to use.

While not expressly recommended, if you have nothing else available, it is basically OK to use them.

As I remember I read the article about one year ago while researching Epi Pens, so the data is out there.

[a64pilot]

A very great lot has to do with storage with drugs efficacy if I use that word correctly
Stored in a cool place like a fridge and out of light may extend greatly the usable life.
The thing about expiration dates if I have been told correctly is it has nothing to do really with how long a drug may last, its a date that the drug is guaranteed to last.
There is a difference in those two dates.
Very much like an EPIRB, we know the batteries last longer, but how much longer? Well if they were stored in a cool place out of the sun, maybe years longer. Mounted on the outside of the boat in direct sunlight and heat, maybe not much longer at all

[KP44]

Originally Posted by sailingmonica

It is an anti allergic product, and we do not need a prescription to purchase it in Canada. Our travel health consultant recommended that we get a few just in case, for man o war stings or other such things, but we feel having two is enough, having four is too many. That is why I thought I would offer them to someone who may need them.

I think your offer is genuine and generous.
But there are a lot of regulations to protect Big Pharma's profits. And some places we visit might require prescriptions to possess <what they define as> drugs outside our documented vessel. I have heard of OTC headache tablets needing a prescription in Mexico, but that might be dated information.
Thank you for the generous offer. I think epi-pens should be part of every ship's supply.

[basssears]

As another FYI (thread creep, I know), the great expense (other than the profit margin) in epi pens is the delivery mechanism. If you feel comfortable doing so, and your doctor is willing to prescribe it, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription for a vial of epinephrine and syringes and needles to draw it up and inject it. My last vial (30mg, so can be used for extended symptoms, as opposed to the 0.3mg - 0.5mg of an epi-pen which may only help for ~5 minutes at a time) cost me $10.00

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, take my advice as worth what you paid for it)

-- Bass

[kentobin]

Originally Posted by gts1544

DRUG EXPIRATION DATE FALLACY - My wife carries an Epi-Pen due to her shellfish allergy and as you know, the price has escalated unreasonably.

Several years ago, I was having dinner with two pre-eminent grey haired doctors in Denver and I asked them about drug expiration dates. They assured me that those dates are a creation of big pharma and their overpaid lawyers.

[/B]

My father was a physician and aside from saying medication loses efficacy with age he had no clinical information as to how any medication aged. His only advice was if kept refrigerated the medication aged more slowly.

With aspirin that's not an issue. If you want to bet your life on how potent an expired epi-pen is sounds more like an act of stupidity or desperation.