HOME › Forums › Camp Health › Purchasing Epinephrine
Tagged: allergy, anaphylaxis, epinephrine
- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 9 months ago by
Amanda Cook.
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May 8, 2022 at 4:00 pm #45102
Ann Williams
MemberI need some advice about purchasing epinephrine for Camp Lilac, a camp for transgender youth located in Ohio.
We are a small camp that began by renting space from another existing camp for 3 years pre-pandemic. During that time, we had access to their supply of epinephrine, although e have never needed to use it. We then operated online for 2 years, so did not need epinephrine.
But this year, we need to purchase our own epinephrine for the first time.
I have questions!
1.) We expect to have about 65 campers in 2 one-week sessions. How many epinephrine injectors should we purchase?
2.) We don’t have a lot of money. I know epinephrine injectors are expensive. I have read that there are unbranded injectors available but don’t know much about these. What is everyone’s experience about the least expensive way to purchase epinephrine injectors?
3.) What else do I need to think about?
May 10, 2022 at 4:33 pm #45146Julie Estes
ParticipantMy experience is that most kids who need it, bring it. But of course you want to have some just in case. You may want to check with your local pharmacy and see what options/pricing they have or order it from an online pharmacy/medical sales company. I got a 2 dose kit from Medline last year for about $120.00. It was not an auto injector but a vial with 2 marked syringes specifically for epinephrine administration. You need a doctors order for everything of course. But I call my pharmacist every year and ask him what is available. Last year it was cheaper for us to get it through medline. Good luck!
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This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by
Julie Estes.
May 12, 2022 at 1:07 pm #45168Ann Williams
MemberThank you, Julie!
May 15, 2022 at 7:07 pm #45182Amanda Cook
MemberI agree with Julie. The higher-risk kids should show up with epi, but you want at least one set on hand with a plan on how you would get it quickly to a camper. Depending on how far and wide your campers travel (and your budget), consider having a set available near each of the high risk areas. We have a 300 acre campus and try to keep one set at the dining hall, one at the health center, and one with our horsemanship team (since they can be difficult to reach on some trails).
CVS offers a $109 cash price for a 2-pack of the *generic* epinephrine auto-injector. They used to also offer a $100 discount card, but I haven’t seen that in a few years. It’s very possible an independently-owned pharmacy could match or beat that deal, since they have more flexibility on their pricing. They would also know about alternatives, like the draw-it-up-yourself kits.
Good luck. This is always a challenging part of our summer preparedness planning.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by
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