Dear Supporters
As you know from signing our petition @campaign42AAI advocates for everyone to have the right to carry two Adrenaline pens as minimum. Although our main goal is to reverse guidelines we see as detrimental to doing this, we now shockingly face an even more pressing and potentially life threatening issue, that of not being able to replace expired pens.
The UK has reached near critical levels of shortages of Adrenaline pens.
Pharmacists across the UK are struggling to order in all three brands of pens, Epipen, Jext & Emerade. Our Campaign Facebook page is testament to the issues people are facing, report after report across the whole of the UK being described by those going to replace pens.
The issue originated in the USA early last year with Australia & Canada becoming victims of shortages too.
Back in August 2017 we raised concerns to related bodies amd leading charities that surely the UK would be impacted to? The answer we got back was the UK will be fine we have Jext & Emerade. This simply has not be the case. Our research found that Epipen had held 70% of UK Adrenaline Pen prescriptions, Jext 17% & Emerade 13%. Once the UK started receiving intermittent supplies of Epipen Jext found they could not cope with additional demands placed on them, the same we must assume is for Emerade.
On our Campaign Facebook page you can follow it to see up to date information on how to assist in obtaining AAI’s and also updates to information on stock due from Emerade & Jext.
We are doing what we can in our own small way to raise awareness.( I was on a regional BBC Radio station last week and got to mention AAI shortages and why we Campaign to #alwayscarrytwo).
Please do look through our page on Faceif you wish to see updates.
Please do not dispose of expired pens whilst waiting for new ones. Expired Adrenaline can, if it has not clouded, work safely for a few months. Give yourself plenty of time to replace prescriptions and keep referencing the page for stock updates. If you need more than two then get the script split up and request ‘ Adrenaline pen’ rather than a brand.
A share of the petition and Campaign work may keep shortages in the public eye. Please help.
All the best
Angela
(Campaign42AAI & Nutfreeliving )