Allergy pens that deliver life-saving adrenaline recalled over fears they don’t work
ALLERGY sufferers have been warned to return Emerade adrenaline pens to their pharmacy after specific batches failed to work .
If you have an Emerade 300 or 500 mcg adrenaline autoinjector – or you care for someone who does – you should contact your GP immediately to get a prescription for a different pen brand.
But take note – you should only return your Emerade pen when you’ve received a replacement from your pharmacy.
This’ll either be an EpiPen or Jext adrenaline pen – two recent studies have indicated that both brands are suitable replacements for the Emerade pens.
When you’re returning your Emerade pen, make sure you know how to use your replacement pen, as it’s likely it’ll work differently to the one you had previously.
You can ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse for help with familiarising yourself with your new device. But instructions will be included inside the pack of your new pen and you can look up videos on how to use on the manufacturer’s website.
You should also continue to carry two adrenaline pens with you at all times if you’re prone to allergic reactions.
GPs and pharmacists have also been told to contact patients who have one of these devices, after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today said their manufacturer was issuing an urgent recall for all unexpired batches of the pens.
The recall doesn’t affect the Emerade 150mcg pens.
Emerade 300 or 500 mcg adrenaline autoinjectors are manufactured by Pharmaswiss Česka republika s.r.o. and distributed Bausch & Lomb UK Limited.
Routine testing identified internal structural issues in some pens, which meant they failed to inject adrenaline or delivered it prematurely if they had been dropped.
“This precautionary recall is because some 300 microgram and 500 microgram Emerade auto-injector pens may rarely fail to activate if they are dropped, meaning a dose of adrenaline would not be delivered,” the MHRA explained.
“Premature activation has also been detected in some of the 300 microgram and 500 microgram pens after they have been dropped, meaning that a dose of adrenaline is delivered too early,” it added.
Government advice for allergy sufferers who carry an adrenaline pen
An adrenaline auto-injector is an injection device filled with adrenaline. You should use it to inject yourself if you have an anaphylactic reaction.
An anaphylactic reaction is a life-threatening allergic reaction which can happen very quickly. It can be set off by various triggers.
The most common triggers are certain foods, medicines, and wasp and bee stings.
An injection of adrenaline in the outer thigh is the best emergency, on-the-spot treatment for an anaphylactic reaction.
Every time you use an adrenaline auto-injector:
- Call 999, ask for an ambulance and state ‘anaphylaxis’, even if you start to feel better
- Lie flat with your legs up to keep your blood flowing. However, if you are having difficulty breathing, you may need to sit up to make breathing easier
- If you are able to, seek help immediately after using your auto-injector. If possible, avoid being on your own while waiting for the ambulance
- If you still feel unwell after the first injection, use your second injector to 15 minutes after the first
The MHRA advise you to always carry two adrenaline auto-injectors with you at all times and check the expiry date
The recall also affects life-saving adrenaline pens that schools have at hand, as well as those that healthcare professionals such as dentists have in their emergency anaphylaxis kits, the MHRA wrote.
It also said that Emerade pens’ manufacturer and distributor had confirmed that they had paused production of 300 and 500 microgram autoinjectors.
“Therefore, no further supplies will be available, and patients will need to be switched to an appropriate alternative,” the MHRA noted.
But the agency assured patients that their were enough alternative pens for patients not to be left without due to the recall.
Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: “We are taking prompt action to protect patients, following detection of damage to internal components of the Emerade pens if they are dropped, which may mean they activate too early or fail to activate and deliver adrenaline.
“The Department for Health and Social Care has confirmed that there are appropriate supplies of EpiPen or Jext adrenaline pens available for patients across the UK, however, patients will need to request a new prescription,” she added.
“Patients are reminded to carry two pens with them at all times as normal and to contact their healthcare professional when a replacement is due.”
Allergy sufferers were warned of ‘faulty’ Emerade adrenaline pen batches in July 2019.