CutPrice Pharmacy

Pharmacist Only Medicine

This product is a Pharmacist Only Medicine and requires pharmacist advice before we can dispatch this product. You must first place the order and then contact our pharmacists within 48 hours . The pharmacist will determine if this product is appropriate for you and if so, approve the order. In the event that you do not do this, the product will be deleted from your order and the balance of your order will be dispatched. This is not required if you have a doctor's prescription.

What EpiPen® Jr. is used for

EpiPen® Jr. is only to be used for the immediate EMERGENCY TREATMENT of a SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION (also known as ANAPHYLAXIS). Your doctor or pharmacist will explain what this is like, so that you know when you must use EpiPen® Jr.

EpiPen® Jr. is used to treat children who have a severe allergic reaction caused by, for example, hypersensitivity to

• food.
• medicines
• stinging insects
• insect bites
• latex or
• other allergens, possibly unidentified.

See Side effects for information regarding allergy to sodium metabisulfite.

Avoidance of known allergens is most important in preventing severe allergic reactions.

A severe allergic reaction, otherwise known as anaphylaxis, is overwhelming and life-threatening.

It affects the whole body, in particular the

• heart and blood circulation.
  This may cause, for example, low blood pressure and collapse, or abnormal heart beat or function.
• air passages and lungs.
  This causes difficulty in breathing, with noisy wheezing or gasping, possibly with sneezing and a very runny nose.
• stomach and bowels.
  This may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps, often severe.
• skin (very common).
  This causes flushing, itching, skin rash, hives or swelling, which may be widespread or in one part of the body.
• brain.
  There may be fits or confusion due to lack of oxygen.

Usually several parts of the body are affected. The patient feels extremely unwell.

It is important to act quickly to treat a severe allergic reaction.

The adrenaline in EpiPen® Jr. treats allergic emergencies. It

• shrinks abnormally wide blood vessels and
• makes the heart beat strongly.

This helps improve the very low blood pressure and poor circulation that occur in a severe allergic reaction.

Adrenaline also

• relaxes the lungs. This eases breathing and lessens wheezing.
• helps stop
  - swelling, for example, of the face and lips
  - skin rash and/or
  - itching.

The EpiPen® Jr. Auto-Injector is intended for use in children who have been assessed and advised by their doctor or pharmacist as needing an EpiPen® Jr. Auto-Injector to treat their severe allergic reaction and who

• weigh from 15 kg up to 30 kg, and
• are having a severe allergic reaction.

NOTE: Selection of the appropriate dosage is determined according to patient body weight.

For a child who weighs from 15kg up to 30kg, the doctor or pharmacist may assess their severe allergic reaction as needing the larger dosage of adrenaline as provided by an EpiPen® Auto-Injector.  (The EpiPen® Jr. Auto-Injector delivers a smaller dosage of adrenaline). Similarly, there may be instances where the doctor or pharmacist will recommend the use of EpiPen® Jr. in some adults, based on careful medical assessment.

If you have any questions about this, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

EpiPen® Jr.

• provides convenient first-aid
• may be self-administered or administered by a carer to the child
• has a spring-activated, hidden needle
• automatically injects one pre-measured dose of adrenaline
• is for single use only.

EpiPen® Jr. may be prescribed by your doctor. You can also purchase it directly from a pharmacy.

CPP