Canada's cheaper EpiPens are drawing U.S. buyers north
EpiPen auto-injection epinephrine pens manufactured by Mylan NV pharmaceutical company for use by severe allergy sufferers are seen in Washington, U.S. August 24, 2016. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo
The exorbitant price tag on EpiPens in the United States is driving some with food allergies north of the border to buy the non-prescription “behind the counter” emergency treatment from Canadian pharmacies.
“We have heard, anecdotally, of some families that are making the trip to purchase them here in Canada,” Beatrice Povolo, director of advocacy and media relations at Food Allergy Canada, an organization which supports Canadians whose allergies put them at a risk of anaphylaxis, told Yahoo Finance Canada. Part of that drive comes from the skyrocketing price for the prescription drug, used in emergency situations to deliver an epinephrine to those allergic to things like bee stings or peanuts, south of the border.
Earlier this week U.S.-based pharmaceutical company Mylan, which makes the EpiPen, came under fire for incrementally raising the price of its two-pack syringe from US$94 to US$600 over the past nine years. The company responded to the outrage, saying it would be giving $300 “savings cards” to subsidize the cost of the injectors.
“We have been a long-term, committed partner to the allergy community and are taking immediate action to help ensure that everyone who needs an EpiPen Auto-Injector gets one,” Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan, said in a statement. “We recognize the significant burden on patients from continued, rising insurance premiums and being forced increasingly to pay the full list price for medicines at the pharmacy counter.”
In Canada, says Povolo, the drug is licensed and distributed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and retails for $100 to $120 per injector.
“We have a very different system here in terms of our healthcare, in terms of regulations around drug pricing and thankfully the price here in Canada has been very stable for quite some time,” she says.
While most drug plans in Canada cover EpiPens, the “behind-the-counter” nature (meaning you can walk right into a pharmacy and buy it) makes it accessible for the estimated 7.5 per cent of Canadians who have allergies that put them at risk of going into anaphylactic shock, according to Food Allergy Canada.
While Mylan’s epinephrine injector formally had a rival in Allerject, the drug was yanked from the market last year after it was found the device might not be delivering the right dose.
“As of right now EpiPen is the only auto-injector available for people at risk of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reaction,” she adds.
As for the public outcry, Povolo suspects part of the reason the startling cost of the EpiPen has received such wide media coverage is the timing.
“It is a big issue for families… especially since we’re going back into a very peak season of back-to-school time where parents are ensuring that they have auto injectors for their children to make sure that they’re carrying them at all times,” she says adding that August and September are the best times to ensure the EpiPens are “in-date” and on hand.
Daycares will also commonly keep a supply of EpiPens in case an emergency arises.
“In a number of scenarios (it’s) a life saving medication and they need to have it with them at all times,” says Povolo.
