North Carolina Welcomes EpiPens in School!!!

It's a wonderful day in North Carolina! 

I am so proud to share the news with all of you that because the people of our state want to protect our children, we are officially one step closer to being able to save multiple lives from potential allergic reactions!

I want to thank everyone who helped in this effort- families, friends, coworkers, workers of the State of North Carolina- you are all part of the answer. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mylan (makers of EpiPen) for continuing to help us all in making the lives of our families that much safer.

And now, without further adieu, I am proud to share the press release from the North Carolina Pediatric Society: 

N.C. Pediatric Society Applauds State Lawmakers for Protecting Students with Undiagnosed Allergies by Requiring School Access to Emergency Epinephrine

State Budget Requires Schools to Stock Epinephrine & Train Employees to Administer to Students Having an Allergic Reaction

RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 7, 2014) – The North Carolina Pediatric Society, the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, today applauded Gov. Pat McCrory and state lawmakers for enacting as part of the fiscal year 2015 budget legislation a provision requiring schools to store epinephrine auto-injectors in case of emergency. The legislation also requires schools to develop an emergency action plan and train at least one employee to administer the treatment to any student believed to be suffering from anaphylaxis – a potentially fatal allergic reaction.

This requirement, which was originally introduced in 2013 as Senate Bill 700 / House Bill 824 and passed by the House, makes North Carolina the 45^th state to allow or mandate school epinephrine access through legislation or guidelines. While North Carolina students with prescriptions could previously carry and self-administer their own epinephrine, those with undiagnosed allergies did not have access until now, and school employees were not fully protected against liability for administering the medication.

“With one in 13 children living with food allergies, providing access to emergency epinephrine in schools will save lives across North Carolina,” said Dr. John Rusher, president of the N.C. Pediatric Society. “Children spend half their day in school, where they can encounter life-threatening allergens, such as bee stings, for the first time. All students need access to epinephrine, which slows the effects of an allergic reaction in the critical minutes following exposure. We applaud Gov. McCrory and state legislators in the House and Senate for working to protect our students and save the lives of children with undiagnosed allergies.”

According to a 2011 study published in the medical journal Pediatrics, food allergies affect one in 13 (or 8 percent of) American children under the age of 18. Food allergies are the most common trigger of anaphylaxis – a severe, potentially fatal, systemic allergic reaction that occurs suddenly after contact with an allergen. Epinephrine slows down the effects of an allergic reaction in the critical minutes following an exposure, giving emergency and hospital personnel time to treat the victim and often saving the victim’s life.

I think I can sum all of this up as stated by Mylan "Life Happens. Be Prepared" and because of this, we can.