With the cost of the EpiPen in the news over the past several months. I was hoping the cost would go down or a less expensive alternative would surface. I eventually began looking into options myself and suspect others have found what I did, but if not, I want to be sure that I get the word out.
The brand name epinephrine autoinjector sells for over $600 and lasts about a year before it expires. Most people have insurance, so their actual cost is much less; but for a dental office, we pay cash.
I found a product called AdrenaClick, which is a generic epinephrine in an autoinjector. Instead of it being a dual delivery system, it is two separate single dose pens. It is sold by CVS pharmacy™ and normally sells for $110 before insurance, but CVS has a coupon card from the manufacturer that brought my cost down to $9.99.
I was told this should be the case for all CVS pharmacies in Wisconsin. Dentists should only have to write a prescription to themselves. Do not submit it to your personal insurance, so there no possibility of getting into trouble for writing prescriptions to yourself.
A letter published in the ADA News mentions another alternative to the EpiPen and highlights the importance of training your staff for this specific patient situation: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/viewpoint/letters-to-the-editor/2017/march/letters-epipen-conversation
Thanks for the info Carl. Good to know.