Pharmacists have been told to check whether young children really need EpiPens, which are routinely doled out by the NHS and used by millions of allergy sufferers. Amid a 'critical' global shortage, the NHS has told chemists to ask parents how many adrenaline pens they have at home before deciding how many to give out.
Only children with no pens should get the standard prescription of two auto-adrenaline injectors, even if the ones they have are expired, the guidance states.
This comes after 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died of an allergic reaction after eating a Pret a Manger sandwich. She passed away in a French hospital in 2016 despite being given two EpiPen injections from her father on a flight to Nice after eating a sandwich that did not fully list its ingredients.
Dr Sean Cummings, who presided over the inquest of Natasha, has slammed the pens as 'inherently unsafe' because they are too short to reach muscle and do not contain enough adrenaline.
The Department of Health told the BBC's flagship Victoria Derbyshire show new supplies are 'expected within the next week'.
In the meantime, patients with the greatest needs will be prioritised, it added. A shortage of 150mcg EpiPens, which are the most common brand of adrenaline auto-injectors, has had a knock on effect on the other brands Jext and Emerade, which are now also in short supply.
EpiPens, which are manufactured by Pfizer, are available on prescription in the UK and are thought to cost the NHS around £50 for a twin-pack.
