Hacker News Reader

Comment by vlovich123 | Hacker News Reader

Don’t those students still need the epipen when they’re at home or otherwise out of school?

Yes, but in addition to the one at home we also have to buy a separate one to sit in the nurse's office all year. Also, if the before/after school program doesn't have access to the nurse's office, we have yet another one that sits in their cabinet, too.

They all come home at the end of the year, expire, repeat.

I don’t understand what the plausible alternative policy is. Each kid needs a personal one for when they are at home. They presumably should bring it with them to school for quick action and also for if they have an episode while commuting. The school could decline to carry them to save a bit of money each year, but it seems unwise to rely on (1) kids never forgetting their medication and (2) an adult always knowing where to find the child’s medication if they are unresponsive. So shouldn’t the school have a few?

Every school should have a supply, period. Also makes sense for kids to carry.

Their complaint isn't that the school is stocking them. Their complaint is that each child that needs one available is required to provide a personal one to the school to store for use in case they have an emergency.

So instead of the school managing and restocking a reasonable number, the parents restock one each year.

Wouldn't the "reasonable number" to stock be the same? Let's say there's 8 kids that need the EpiPen. If there was a food allergy incident, it could be something like a school lunch event which means they need at least enough for every kid since they might all get the same reaction from all eating the same food. From reading these replies it looks like you need 2 for each person just in case they require a second dose, and replace them once a year.

So:

- if school stocks them for 8 kids: they need to replace 16 every year

- if the 8 kids families supply the stocks: they need to, in aggregate, replace 16 every year

Same amount. Obviously better if the school pays, but I'm not understanding the "reasonable number" part.

Where did you come up with the kids all having the same sensitivities?

A kid that regularly eats peanut butter but is very sensitive to bee stings doesn't need to plan to avoid strawberries.

And at some point, training the on site responders to inject from a vial is going to be pretty worthwhile.

I see. Yea I mean it depends on how many kids need them. If it’s just one or two kids, I don’t see how to avoid it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com