Adam Naves, is a 4-year-old still learning some pretty big words, but 'EpiPens' is already part of his daily vocabulary.
Adam is allergic to peanuts and eggs. He has already had four serious allergic reactions, one that required an EpiPen while at pre-school when he accidentally ate a sandwich with mayonnaise on it.
Adam's mother Gina says the increasing out-of-pocket cost for EpiPens hasn't really affected her family. With their insurance, they're still very affordable. But she knows that's not the case for many other families.
Jennifer Oettle, a registered nurse in Roseville, also has a child with severe allergies. But with her insurance, a two-dose pack of EpiPens would cost her $600 and she would need at least two of those packs.
Oettle says she needs two at each location, including school, her parents' home, her purse, etc. And because EpiPens expire quickly and are not as effective when hot, it's not affordable to buy every year. So she did her research and found an alternative, a generic epinephrine auto-injector that only costs $10 for a 4-pack with her insurance.
Puja Khana, a pharmacist at Remedy RX in Roseville, says that alternative will work, but it may not be as "user-friendly" as brand-name EpiPens.
Khana adds that with school starting, parents have been stocking up and noticing the skyrocketing prices. Since schools are now being required to have EpiPens, there is a lot for parents to consider.