NZ coroner urges Epipen funding

A coronial enquiry into the allergy death of an eight-year-old boy in New Zealand has resulted in a call for the New Zealand government drug-funding agency, Pharmac, to fund Epipens.

The boy died in June after suffering an acute asthma attack brought on by a sudden and severe allergic reaction to eating a cashew nut while at a friend's house. Despite receiving medical attention in a clinic and at Waikato Hospital, he could not be revived.

The coroner investigating the death ruled that while appropriate treatment was administered, similar deaths could be avoided if adrenalin auto-injectors such as EpiPens were more readily available.

Currently, EpiPens cost between NZ$120 and NZ$190 and have a shelf life of only six months. Although Epipens are fully funded in Australia and the UK New Zealand's Pharmac pays for adrenalin, syringes and needles but not the more simple to operate auto-injectors.

It is estimated that 20,000 children in New Zealand are at risk of anaphylactic reactions and the cost of funding EpiPens could reach $12 million a year.

Pharmac's medical director has said the coroner's recommendation would be considered as part of an active review. Pharmac last reviewed funding EpiPens in November 2005 and recommended they should be a medium priority. They have evidence from overseas that indicates patients with such auto-injectors overseas did not carry them or carried expired devices. Overuse for non-anaphylactic symptoms was also a possibility, so training, education and management programmes would be needed if Pharmac were to fund the devices.

Source: The New Zealand Herald www.nzherald.co.nz