VANCOUVER ISLAND- A Campbell River pharmacist said that alternatives to the EpiPen are going to be harder for patients to use.
Pfizer Canada, manufacturer of the auto-injecting device for Epinephrine, announced in a press release that they would not be able to supply more Epipens to Canada until late August. Epinephrine is used to treat people having severe allergic reactions.
Robert Simpson, pharmacist at the Campbell River Health and Drug Store, said as supplies dry up, patients will have to buy the drug in vial form, and measure out the dosage themselves.
“The problem is that those have to be drawn up with a syringe, so if someone is having an attack, they probably can’t do that themselves,” he said.
“We can show them, it’s just not an ideal situation.”
Simpson said they haven’t seen too much of a problem in Campbell River yet, and most pharmacies still had the Junior EpiPen in stock.
He urged anyone with concerns to visit their nearest pharmacist.
