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The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7177 815-819
8 December 2001

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Community pharmacy

Use of Epipen in an emergency

From Mrs S. E. Gibson, MRPharmS

I agree with Elias Muammar’s general points on pharmacist prescribing (PJ, 20 October, p547). But is he seriously saying that if someone had an anaphylactic attack in his shop he would say "sorry, you need a prescription for an Epipen"? I know that strictly speaking we are not allowed to provide or administer these. However, I also know I could not stand by and possibly let someone die because I was too busy covering my own back. Surely in this type of emergency scenario the patient’s life should come first?

I would be interested to know the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s view on this.

Suzanne Gibson
Salisbury, Wiltshire

SHONA COY of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Professional Standards Directorate says: Parenteral preparations are prescription only medicines which must be administered in accordance with the directions of an appropriate practitioner. There is, however, an exemption from this requirement where the administration is for the purpose of saving life in an emergency. Adrenaline injection 1 in 1,000 (1mg in 1ml) is one of 14 POMs contained under this exemption.

The Code of Ethics states that pharmacists must assist persons in need of first aid or medical treatment and the Society believes a pharmacist would be justified in supplying and administering adrenaline for the purpose of saving a life.

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