• William C Sokoloff, Nicole C O'Connell, Prasra G Olson, and Daniel M Fein.
• Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, USA. Electronic address: wsokoloff1@northwell.edu.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2021 Jun 1; 44: 378-382.

BackgroundDespite its life-saving potential in anaphylaxis, self-injectable epinephrine (SIE) is frequently not administered by caregivers prior to arrival in the emergency department (ED). Prescriptions from the ED often go unfilled which may contribute to the failure to receive SIE when needed.ObjectiveTo determine the prescription filling rate and accessibility of SIE devices among families discharged from the Pediatric ED with an SIE prescription.MethodsA phone survey was administered to parents of children <18 years of age prescribed SIE in the pediatric ED over 12 months. The survey inquired if they own an SIE device, the device's expiration date as confirmation, and details of their child's allergy. Variables were analyzed for association with owning SIE, having SIE accessible when prompted, and having unexpired SIE accessible.Results170 children received prescriptions for SIE and 100 (59%) completed the survey. Eighty-four of 100 (84%) had filled the initial SIE prescription. Sixty-five of 100 (65%) had proof of having SIE, of which 29% (19/65) were expired. Only 46% (46/100) of all respondents had an accessible unexpired SIE. Patients with food allergies and those who'd visited an allergist after their ED visit had higher odds of having unexpired accessible devices.ConclusionA majority of patients prescribed SIE from the ED fill their prescription; however, less than half have unexpired SIE readily available despite high rates of recurrent anaphylactic emergencies. Focusing on post-discharge planning, particularly follow-up, may prevent children with allergies from being left dangerously unprepared.Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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