President Signs Epinephrine Bill

Last week President Obama signed into law the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act. This is the first federal law encouraging schools to stock epinephrine for use in allergic emergencies. This is because of a two year campaign by the FARE organization. With this law financial incentives are given to the states to encourage schools to keep lifesaving epinephrine on hand and ensure school personnel are trained on how to use them.

Right now, 30 states currently have laws or guidelines allowing schools to stock epinephrine for anaphylactic emergencies. Only four states (Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada and Virginia) currently require this practice. During the signing ceremony, President Obama revealed that his daughter Malia, age 15, has a peanut allergy.

This Act is important because many students who may need epinephrine may have no known history of an allergy and would not have a prescription of their own.