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New Bill Aims To Make Epi-Pen Like Medicine More Affordable And Accessible

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Adults with documented medical histories of being routinely prescribed Epi-pens for allergic reactions might soon find it’s easier and cheaper to get those products. Here's more on the bill state lawmakers are considering.

Republican representative Derek Merrin’s bill would give pharmacists the ability to dispense epinephrine auto-injectors to patients without a doctor’s prescription.

“What this would allow the pharmacist's ability to do is really prevent adults from having to go into the doctor’s office every single year to get a prescription, pay the co-pays when they’ve already been on an epinephrine auto-injector, many of them since their childhood.”

Epi-pens have skyrocketed to about $600 for a two-pack, and they need to be replaced regularly.  Merrin’s bill would also allow pharmacists to substitute a prescription written for an Epi-pen with a less expensive auto-injector, which is not currently classified as a generic for the brand name Epi-pen.

Copyright 2017 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.