Anapen® injection time reduced to 3 seconds - same as Epipen!

We have some more good news for those who have serious allergies and are prone to anaphylactic reactions.

In 2021 the launch of the Anapen® finally gave Australians an alternative to the Epipen® which was for many years the only adrenaline auto-injector available in this country..

It was great news to those who are prone to suffering severe allergic reactions to things like nuts, seafood, eggs, dairy etc another choice of how to quickly inject a potentially life-saving shot of adrenaline into their body.

At the time of launch, the only complication between the Epipen and the Anapen, was the fact that both pens function slightly differently, so if you knew how to use one, that didn’t mean you would know how to use the other one.

In an emergency situation this could cause confusion between the way you use the different “pens”, leading to someone not using it correctly and failing to properly deliver the required dose of adrenaline. (The difference is not huge but under stress everyone can make mistakes and potentially get their training on one type of auto-injector confused with the other type.)

The other problem was that there was a difference in the recommended time that you were supposed to hold the auto-injector in place to allow the adrenaline from it to fully release into the body. In 2021, the Epipen had a recommended time of just 3 seconds. But the Anapen, on its release into the market, had a recommended time of 10 seconds. Again, another potential source of confusion.

However, since 7th September 2022, the makers of the Anapen revealed that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) had approved the reduction of the recommending injecting time for an Anapen from 10 seconds down to just 3 seconds – the same as an Epipen!

What this means is whether you use an Anapen or an Epipen you only have to hold it in place for 3 seconds. No more confusion between the two different brands of adrenaline auto-injector on that point.

All you have to do now, if you switch between the two pens, is make sure you understand the slight difference in how they both work.

If you have a family member or close friend or colleague who does suffer from serious allergies you will want to know how to use auto-injectors and other first aid techniques so you could save their life in an emergency. To learn this and other life-saving tips, please book your first aid training now at https://www.resultsfirstaid.com