Epinephrine injectors can save the life of someone suffering from a severe allergic reaction. But the maker of the Epipen made headlines earlier this year when prices for the drug jumped nearly 500 percent. Fortunately, you can get a generic injector that costs much less. 

 

The generic epinephrine auto injector has been on the market since 2013. It’s up to $430 cheaper than the Epipen, is FDA approved for the same use, and contains the same medicine. Pharmacists and doctors say it’s as safe and effective as the Epipen brand. So why aren’t they prescribing it? 

 

Dr. Ronn Berrol says, “It’s like Kleenex, we don’t say facial tissue. When I think of epinephrine auto injector, the first word that comes to mind is Epipen.” 

 

He says that Mylan has done an exceptional job promoting the Epipen.  And he adds that few physicians realized it had become so expensive.

 

“When the story broke, I think many of us were kinda shocked and appalled and even though we were complicit in it, we didn’t realize that at all,” he says.

 

Complicating the matter, confusion over how to write a prescription for the cheaper generic.

 

Dr. Mohamad Jalloh, American Pharmacists Association says there isn’t an equivalent to the Epipen device specifically.

 

According to Dr. Jalloh, even though the medication is the same,  the epinephrine auto injector is technically the generic for another brand, Adrenaclick. So if the word Epipen appears on the prescription..

 

“Legally we would have to fill it as an Epipen unless we call a prescriber to change it,”  Dr. Jalloh explains.

 

Mylan is offering a $300 savings card which will cut the price of the Epipen in half. The company is also promising to release its own generic version for $300.