Senator Richard Blumenthal is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to help end what he calls an alarming EpiPen shortage.
A recent survey by the advocacy group Food Allergy Research & Education found that more than 400 patients in 45 states are having trouble tracking down EpiPens at pharmacies.
Blumenthal says that’s putting families in a difficult position.
“There is no really reliable substitute for EpiPens. There’s a generic version, but it’s more difficult to use and many nurses in schools and parents find it not only difficult, but in many respects, impossible to substitute for EpiPens.”
The Food and Drug Administration added EpiPens to its list of drug shortages last week because of supply disruptions at Mylan, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the device.
The company released a statement encouraging patients to call its customer relations line for help locating alternative pharmacies that have EpiPens in stock.