RICHMOND, Va. — The FDA reconfirmed a shortage of epinephrine that began in January, and a Va. pediatrician says expired EpiPens are effective, and can be used if an unexpired injector isn’t available.
“In a pinch, if your child is having an allergic reaction — you can always use an expired EpiPen,” Dr. David Arkin told WRIC. “They have to put a date on it, but it’s still good.”
The shortage of epinephrine, used to treat severe allergic reactions in an emergency situation, is due to an increased demand, and the FDA says EpiPens are hard to come by.
A May, 2000 National Institutes of Health study found outdated EpiPens to still be effective, even more than five years past the expiration date, WRIC reports.
The epinepherine auto-injector syringes are produced by two manufacturers, and both companies report increased demand issues, with one saying the medicine is not available, WRIC reports.
WRIC contacted local pharmacies about the epinephrine shortage, and were told there is no immediate concern and EpiPens are available.