Your Patients Can't Find Epipen — Here's How You Can Help

As a prescriber, you've likely heard the frustration firsthand: a parent calls your office because their child's Epipen expired and no pharmacy in town has it. A patient with a severe bee sting allergy reports they've been without an auto-injector for weeks. A new diagnosis leaves a patient anxious — and unable to fill the prescription you just wrote.

Epinephrine auto-injector access has improved since the worst of the 2018-2019 shortage, but the problem hasn't disappeared. Patients continue to encounter stockouts, particularly during seasonal demand peaks and in certain regions. As their provider, you're often the first person they turn to for help.

This guide provides a practical framework for helping your patients locate Epipen (or an equivalent epinephrine auto-injector) when their pharmacy comes up empty — along with workflow tips to reduce the burden on your practice.

Current Epipen Availability

In 2026, the epinephrine auto-injector market includes more products than ever:

• EpiPen and EpiPen Jr (Viatris): The most recognized brand. Generally available but subject to periodic regional shortages.
• Authorized generic (Viatris): Identical device to brand-name Epipen at a lower cost. Often in stock when the brand name isn't.
• Auvi-Q (Kaléo): Compact auto-injector with voice instructions. Available in 0.1 mg, 0.15 mg, and 0.3 mg. Stable supply.
• Adrenaclick / generic: Different device mechanism, generally available and affordable.
• Symjepi (Sandoz): Pre-filled syringe (manual injection), available in 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg.

Despite multiple options, patients often don't know about alternatives — or they assume their prescription is limited to the specific brand you wrote. Provider guidance is essential.

Why Patients Can't Find Epipen

Understanding the root causes helps you counsel patients more effectively:

• Manufacturing bottlenecks: Auto-injectors are complex drug-device combinations with limited manufacturing capacity.
• Seasonal demand: August-September (back-to-school) creates a predictable supply crunch as parents fill prescriptions for school emergency kits.
• Regional variation: A pharmacy on one side of town may be stocked out while another 10 miles away has plenty. Patients often don't think to look beyond their usual pharmacy.
• Cost avoidance: Some patients delay filling prescriptions due to high out-of-pocket costs, then rush to fill them all at once — creating local demand spikes.
• Prescription specificity: If a prescription is written specifically for "EpiPen" brand, pharmacists in many states cannot substitute a different auto-injector device without a new prescription.

5 Steps Providers Can Take

Step 1: Write Flexible Prescriptions

When clinically appropriate, prescribe "epinephrine auto-injector" rather than a specific brand. This empowers pharmacists to dispense whichever FDA-approved product is in stock — whether that's brand Epipen, the authorized generic, Auvi-Q, or Adrenaclick.

If your state requires device-specific prescriptions for substitution, consider writing multiple prescriptions (one for Epipen, one for Auvi-Q) so the pharmacist can fill whichever is available.

Step 2: Direct Patients to Real-Time Availability Tools

Medfinder for Providers allows you and your patients to search for epinephrine auto-injector availability at nearby pharmacies in real time. Consider:

• Bookmarking Medfinder on your office computers
• Including Medfinder in the patient handout you give with new epinephrine prescriptions
• Having your front desk or nursing staff check availability when a patient reports difficulty filling their prescription

This can reduce the number of callback requests your office receives about availability issues.

Step 3: Educate Patients on All Device Options

Many patients believe Epipen is their only option because it's the brand they know. Take 60 seconds during the prescribing conversation to mention:

• There are multiple FDA-approved epinephrine auto-injectors
• They all contain the same medication and are equally effective
• The devices differ in size, design, and technique — but the epinephrine inside works the same way
• Switching between devices is safe with proper technique training

Keep trainer devices for multiple products in your office so patients can practice before leaving.

Step 4: Address Cost Proactively

Cost is a hidden driver of the availability problem — patients who can't afford to fill their prescription may delay until it becomes urgent, or they may go without entirely. Proactively share cost-saving options:

• Authorized generic: Same device as Epipen at roughly half the cash price ($150-$400 vs. $300-$700+)
• Auvi-Q $0 copay: Kaléo's program covers the full copay for commercially insured patients
• Viatris EpiPen Savings Card: May reduce copays to $0-$25 for commercially insured patients
• Patient assistance programs: For uninsured patients, Viatris and other manufacturers offer free or reduced-cost programs

A printed handout with this information can save your staff from fielding repeated cost-related calls. Direct patients to our comprehensive guide on saving money on Epipen.

Step 5: Flag Refill Timing in Your Workflow

Encourage patients to refill 4-6 weeks before expiration — not the week of. Consider adding expiration date tracking to your follow-up workflow:

• Note the expected expiration date in the patient's chart at the time of prescribing
• Use your EHR's recall system to send a reminder 6 weeks before the expected expiration
• At annual visits for allergy patients, verify that the patient has a current, non-expired auto-injector

When to Consider Alternatives

Switching a patient from Epipen to an alternative is appropriate when:

• Epipen is unavailable at multiple pharmacies in the patient's area
• Cost of Epipen (even with savings programs) is a barrier to adherence
• The patient would benefit from a different device form factor (e.g., Auvi-Q's compact size for teens, Symjepi's smaller profile for adults)
• An infant requires the 0.1 mg dose only available in Auvi-Q

When switching, always review the new device technique with the patient and update their anaphylaxis action plan. For patients with school-age children, remind families to update the action plan on file at school.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

• Create a patient handout that lists all available epinephrine auto-injector options, savings programs, and a link to Medfinder. Give it to every patient receiving an epinephrine prescription.
• Designate a staff member to handle availability inquiries using Medfinder, rather than having multiple staff members each spend time calling pharmacies.
• Stock trainer devices for Epipen, Auvi-Q, and Adrenaclick so patients can practice with any device they might receive.
• Write a standing protocol that allows your staff to switch patients between equivalent auto-injector brands (with your pre-authorization) when a specific product is unavailable.
• Batch seasonal communications: Send a reminder to allergy patients each June to fill their prescriptions before the August-September rush.

Final Thoughts

The Epipen availability challenge isn't going away overnight, but providers have more tools and options than ever to help patients stay protected. Flexible prescribing, proactive cost counseling, patient education about alternatives, and tools like Medfinder can make a meaningful difference in your patients' ability to access this life-saving medication.

No patient with anaphylaxis risk should be left without an epinephrine auto-injector. With a few workflow adjustments, your practice can be a reliable resource in an unreliable supply landscape.