Furthermore, one-third of adults with food allergy think epinephrine auto-injectors can cause life-threatening effects<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b><\/p>\n
MONDAY, Nov. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Only half of adults with food allergies have immediate access to epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, held from Nov. 10 to 14 in Louisville, Kentucky.<\/p>\n
Jennaveve Yost, from Food Allergy Research & Education in Burke, Virginia, and colleagues examined epinephrine utilization in adults with food allergy. The analysis included survey responses from 1,006 adults with food allergy.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that only 52 percent of adults reported having ever been prescribed an EAI. “My doctor did not indicate it was really needed” and “I don t believe I need it” were the top reasons cited explaining the access gap. Individuals with private health insurance were more likely to have a history of EAI prescription (59 percent through employer and 68 percent self-purchased) versus those on Medicare (48 percent) or Medicaid (51 percent). One-third of adults reported having an unexpired EAI, while one-quarter reported always having access to EAIs. More than one-third of respondents (36 percent) believed that EAIs can cause life-threatening side effects. Participants reported paying, on average, $476 out of pocket in the past year for EAIs.<\/p>\n
“Our goal in doing the study was to show that more people need to be made aware that if they have a food allergy, they should always carry an EAI and that those EAIs are safe to use,” a coauthor said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Press Release<\/a><\/p>\n