Lawmaker urges EpiPens in all schools

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Stocking life-saving medicine for food allergies in schools could become law in Michigan.

State Representative Lisa Pothumus Lyons (R-Alto) proposed a law mandating putting inexpensive epinephrine auto-injectors in every public school building and providing simple training to educators could save lives.

"With 6 million children around America suffering from allergies, I think this is a really important topic to have a conversation on," Lyons told 24 Hour News 8.

There are just two issues: It's unknown who would pay for them and while they are simple to use, health professionals say knowing when to use them requires advanced training.  
 
"I have three children and two of my children have food allergies," said mother Stacey Korecki.

The EpiPen is part of Korecki's everyday life. She carries two and her kids school keeps them on reserve for them.

"Just to have them in your first aid kit in case a child goes into a life-threatening reaction it just is a no-brainer to me," Korecki said.

There is no question that epinephrine is serious medicine. It can temporarily stop severe allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis that can kill in three to four minutes.

But use isn't as simple as grabbing an epinephrine auto-injectors and sticking it into someone you think might be having an allergic reaction.

"It is very important that you recognize when you need to give it, because allergic reactions are not that easy to recognize sometimes. Life-threatening allergic reactions are not the same as allergic reactions," said GRPS Director of School Health Services Stephanie Painter.

For the past 5 years, epinephrine auto-injectors have been in all Grand Rapids Schools, but only registered nurses are allowed to inject students who do not have a pre-diagnosed allergy.

"Last year we used the emergency protocol 13 times for the epinephrine," Painter said. "I know that we have saved lives with the protocol."  

Epinephrine is a prescription medication and is not without side effects. Dosage requirements vary and the medicine itself is fragile. The window of acceptable storage temperatures is narrow and its shelf life short.

Schools would have to replace the pens annually and train at least two staff members under the proposed law.

"I don't want to place our schools under an undue financial burden as a result of this policy, but they are inexpensive and for the benefit of being able to save a life, the cost is certainly minimal," said Lyons.