The $400 EpiPen

Got it. She's still a dingbat.

 

Look man, if you don't want to be affected by this just don't get sick. Simple as that.

 

As long as the CEO is doing well and the shareholders are happy, I don't see the problem here.

Why is the lamestream media poking its nose into good old American -- or sort of European -- capitalism?

 

Nah. There's a spike in life-threatening food allergies. It's not like it was when you were a kid. Peeps need the EpiPens.

The way to protect someone from dying is simple-- Epi.

It's kind of like an AEDs. Are cardiac arrhythmias common ? No.

Is it nice to have defib machines around just in case ? Yes.

When you can do something to save a life, you do it.

 

GMO foods

 

Legit question: Do you personally know anyone who has a life-threatening peanut allergy and/or ever seen someone go into anaphylactic shock?

I ask because I probably held a similar point of view before my nephew came along. I didn't know anyone who had a nut allergy, had never seen it and didn't understand it at all. I thought it was overblown. "Why shouldn't a parent be able to send their kid to school with a PB&J just because that kid has an allergy?" It's a common sentiment (I've seen it more than once in my FB feed), but it invariably comes from people who don't have the first clue about nut allergies.

Having seen what can happen to my nephew if he didn't have his EpiPen, I can tell you first-hand that it has nothing to do with marketing. Knowing that there is a device available that can save his life if a cook forgets to properly clean a cooking utensil, it would be negligent for his mother not to carry one at all times.

 

I have a deathly allergy to Brazil nuts (no other nuts, oddly). They are easy to avoid, but I also have an EpiPen.

 

Yes.
I have two nephews who have nut allergies.
No, I have never seen them go into shock.
Disclosure: Their mother is an Family NP and former ER nurse, who, to the best of my knowledge, does not carry an EpiPen.

I want to make it clear I believe those with allergies are serious and have every right to be cautious and concerned. It is serious shit.
That said, I also think there is work by RX companies to market these items to lead people to believe they need them. That They must have them and the failure to do so constitutes negligence or your part as a parent. Maybe we got smarter and efforts to combat allergies got cheaper, but to think RX marketing didn't/ doesn't contribute to the believed need for this stuff (Restasis: the shit for tears) is naive.

Again, you have a greater chance of dying from choking on food than of dying due to an allergic reaction. In my entire life, I have never seen a kid have an allergic severe enough allergic reaction to bee stings, nuts, shellfish or anything that required an EpiPen. Most treatments are benadryl. Again, I believe those allergic reactions are serious and warrant treatment. But, I have never seen them used. Not once.



Like Lugs, noted AEDs are great to have on hand when needed. Same with EpiPens, when they cost $50. When they cost $400?
Either way, Mylan has created a demand for EpiPens and controls the supply. They are a greedy fucking company. I'll be curious to see how this shakes out.

 

There are viable options for your nephew other than the EpiPen. That it might be the preferred option does not make it the only one.

 

Nothing to see here folks, please move along. If we can shift the blame to Lochte or Trump, that would be appreciated.

 

I was responding more to Evil's assertion that most people didn't know they needed an EpiPen until they were told they needed one, as if Mylan's marketing tactics created a boogedy man that scares people into believing they need an EpiPen (or an analog) when they really don't need it.

 

Gotcha.