Life-saving pen breaks the bank, skyrockets to $600

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epiforwebEpiPens are essential for those prone to deadly allergic reactions towards specific things such as peanuts or milk.

The price for a pack containing two EpiPens used to run anywhere from $60-$100; but as the need for these pens increased throughout the years, so has the prices.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Delta student Justine Ferbo.

Though Ferbo herself isn’t allergic to anything, a family member of hers is allergic to cats.

“My sister can’t be around them,” said Ferbo. “When she is, she starts having trouble breathing.”

Rather than investing in the pricey EpiPens, Ferbo’s sister is looking elsewhere.

“There are cheaper alternatives,” says Ferbo, “but doctors will usually go towards the most expensive alternative, rather than the cheaper one.”

It now costs around $600 for a pack containing two of the exact same EpiPens that not only used to be cheaper, but reportedly cost no more than $20 dollars to make.

The amount of the lifesaving epinephrine inside one EpiPen is one dollars’ worth, according to an article on Bloomberg.com.

The pen itself is said to cost just a few dollars more.

“People who have created workarounds for EpiPens have spent just $15 or so on the syringes,” according to cnbc.com.

Mylan, the company that bought the rights to the EpiPen back in 2007, has released information of a cheaper generic EpiPen it will release.

This generic EpiPen will run customers around $300, instead of $600 and is said to be released in several weeks, according to Mylan.

Though the exact date for release is unknown, it’s speculated to be soon.

“We understand the public’s frustration and concerns with the cost of the EpiPen to the patient,” said Mylan.

CEO Heather Bresch on the Myland website, “and have always shared the public’s desire to ensure that this important product be accessible to anyone that needs it.”

Mylan’s efforts to provide a cheaper, generic EpiPen may backfire, for the price of this generic pen is still high.

“I still think its old fashioned capitalism, unfortunately,” said Stockton resident Chris Morales. “It’s un-reasonable to charge that much for a tool that some people need to survive.”

Morales isn’t allergic to anything, nor is anyone else he knows; but said the pricing is unfair.

“It’s like these big corporations are all in it together; we don’t know what’s put in our food or how people’s bodies react to pesticides. But when we get sick, we go to the companies that charge these prices.”