Week 8 Updates
Saren S -
Hi everyone! This week, I’ve been diving deeper into the trends emerging from my survey results and organizing the data to highlight the most significant financial challenges families face when accessing EpiPens. One of the most striking patterns I’ve found is that a majority of respondents have had to make financial sacrifices in other areas to afford allergy medication. Many reported delaying other medical treatments or forgoing refills entirely due to the high out-of-pocket expenses.
Another key takeaway is the role of prescription coverage limitations. Several respondents shared frustration about their insurance only covering a single EpiPen per year, even though most doctors recommend carrying multiple injectors. Others mentioned that their insurance only covers the generic version, which, while cheaper, still isn’t always affordable—especially for families with multiple children who have severe allergies. This has led some to rely on expired or secondhand auto-injectors, an alarming but common trend among those struggling financially.
Beyond the financial data, I’ve also been analyzing how these struggles affect families emotionally. Some respondents talked about the stress of constantly monitoring their medication supply, while others mentioned the guilt they feel when they can’t afford an extra injector for school or extracurricular activities. It’s clear that the high cost of EpiPens isn’t just a financial burden—it’s something that deeply affects daily decision-making and peace of mind for many families. Next, I plan to compare these findings to national allergy medication access trends and look at what solutions have been proposed to improve affordability.
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