EMS crews in New York State drop EpiPen in lieu of lower-cost option

The continual rise in cost for EpiPen auto-injectors has emergency crews in New York State, as well as others, abandoning the well-known anaphylaxis intervention for other, lower cost options called Syringe Epinephrine Kits, or SEK's.

Mohawk Ambulance Service recently announced its participation in the New York State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee and the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems' "Check & Inject NY" Pilot Demonstration Program for the replacement of Epinephrine Auto‑Injectors.

Through the project, Mohawk Ambulance Service, along with more than 400 other agencies statewide, have purchased Syringe Epinephrine Kits which contain a vial of epinephrine and a specially designed syringe with adult and pediatric dose gradations clearly marked. These kits, combined with a training program, allow ambulance service providers to replace the EpiPens with a more affordable but equally effective emergency treatment for anaphylaxis in children and adults.

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"Over the last 12 years, the cost of an EpiPen has risen from $35 to more than $450 per pen. This has resulted in tremendous cost increases for emergency medical service agencies, to stock this potentially life-saving, though infrequently used, device," Mohawk said in a statement.

Mohawk spokesman Jason Politi said there are 35 ambulances in Mohawk's fleet that each carry two EpiPens for adult patients and two for children. At today's prices, that would cost the agency about $66,000 annually. With each of Mohawk's 35 ambulances stocking two SEK's which together total $57, costs are dramatically lower at $1995 annually for the entire fleet. That's a savings of roughly $64,000, he said.

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Check & Inject NY was launched through the efforts of Michael Dailey, M.D. who serves as chief of the Division of Prehospital and Operational Medicine and associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Albany Medical College. It was modeled after a similar program in Kings County, Washington that has seen notable success.

"There are 4700 ambulances in New York State, and they could have as many as 4 epipens or as few as two. If you multiply that by the current costs of epipen, we came up with 4.5 million dollars in savings conservatively. That's real money which then goes back into ems system," Dailey said.

Twitter: @BethJSanborn