Adrenaclick is an EpiPen alternative that has been making headlines ever since the EpiPen’s extraordinary price increase. Find out everything you need to know in our Adrenaclick review.
What is Adrenaclick?
Adrenaclick is a drug used to treat anaphylaxis – the condition linked to severe allergic reactions. Just like an EpiPen, Adrenaclick works using an epinephrine injection delivered via a USP auto-injector.
People with severe allergies carry around Adrenaclick for emergencies. When you experience a severe allergic reaction, you jab the needle of the Adrenaclick into your thigh, then the life-saving epinephrine dosage gets delivered into your body.
Adrenaclick has been making headlines ever since the makers of EpiPen significantly raised their prices. Not only is Adrenaclick a more affordable alternative to the EpiPen, but pharmacy chain CVS recently released a generic version of Adrenaclick priced at just $10.
That generic version is marketing itself to customers who don’t want to die – or watch a loved one die – of an allergic reaction, but can’t afford to pay $600 every 6 months for an EpiPen.
CVS will begin selling that generic version of Adrenaclick at a price of $110. However, most customers will qualify for a manufacturer’s coupon that drops the price by $100 – which effectively prices the Adrenaclick at $10.
Adrenaclick was approved by the FDA in 2003.
How Does Adrenaclick Work?
Adrenaclick uses a similar mechanism to the EpiPen: it injects epinephrine into your system to counteract severe, life-threatening allergic reactions.
The main difference between Adrenaclick and the EpiPen is that it uses a slightly different injection system.
Using Adrenaclick is straightforward. You follow these three steps:
Step 1) Pull the gray end cap off the drug to reveal the red tip. Never put your thumb, finger, or hand over the red tip.
Step 2) Put the red tip against the middle of the outer side of your thigh (upper leg). The injection system will go through clothes. Press down hard until the needle enters your thigh through your skin. Hold the needle in place while counting slowly to 10. Remove the needle from your thigh, then check the red tip. If you see an exposed needle, you received the dose. If you don’t see a needle, then you’ll need to go through this step again. It’s normal for some medicine to still be left in the container after the injection is complete.
Step 3) Call 911 for emergency assistance.
Adrenaclick can only be used once, then needs to be thrown away.
There are two versions of Adrenaclick available, including a 0.15mg variety and a 0.3mg version. Both deliver lifesaving epinephrine into your system. Epinephrine prevents the life-threatening effects of anaphylaxis, which include severe swelling, breathing problems, loss of blood pressure, and death.
Anaphylaxis can be caused by bug bites or allergic reactions to food, medicines, exercise, and other unknown causes. Those with allergies, or those who have kids with allergies, are encouraged to carry Adrenaclick or a similar auto-injector on their person at all times.
Adrenaclick and CVS’s $10 EpiPen Alternative
It’s important to note that CVS’s $10 EpiPen alternative isn’t actually Adrenaclick. Instead, it’s a generic version of Adrenaclick.
The generic version will go on sale at CVS stores across America at a price of $110 for a two-pack. Most customers will be able to knock $100 off that price through a manufacturer’s coupon. Medicare and Medicaid customers, however, will not be eligible for that rebate, although CVS said they will work with customers to find the cheapest alternative.
EpiPen Versus Adrenaclick
Ever since Mylan increased the price of the EpiPen, people across America have been searching for alternative drugs. Adrenaclick is one such alternative. It tends to be the most popular alternative to the EpiPen, especially since Auvi-Q was recalled in the United States in 2015.
So what’s the difference between Adrenaclick and EpiPens? Will one treatment save your life more effectively than the other?
First off, it’s important to recognize that there is one other alternative: generic EpiPens are covered under Tier 1 on most health care plans, while EpiPen and Adrenaclick fall under Tier 2. For many people, generics are the best option.
In terms of effectiveness and safety, there’s no real difference between Adrenaclick and EpiPen: both have been approved by the FDA as a treatment for anaphylaxis. One isn’t going to save your life better than the other.
Ultimately, Adrenaclick is one popular EpiPen alternative available at pharmacies across the nation. And, thanks to CVS, a new generic version of Adrenaclick is now available to many Americans for as little as $9.99.
