Epipens on UCC Campus 'A World First'

It is a 'world first' as the government has legislated to allow trained members of the public to administer life-saving medicines in emergency situations. New laws announced on Thursday by the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar have been warmly welcomed by two UCC health experts.Professor Jonathan Hourihane, a leading allergy expert and head of the department of paediatrics and child health at UCC, and Dr. Michael Byrne, Director of Student Health and Wellbeing presented to the Joint Committee on Health and Children on a proposal to establish a university-wide First Responder Anaphylaxis Autoinjector Programme, on a pilot basis. This life-saving initiative, however, could not be carried out due to the absence of appropriate legislation at the time.Hourihane had been on the verge of introducing EpiPens on campus five years ago, but this was put on hold amid concerns about administering prescription-only medicine to those who had not been prescribed that medicine. “We had everything in place. We had 50-60 people trained, we had protocols in place. But a legal issue arose as to whether we, as trained medical prescribers, would be held liable for any adverse outcome".Hourihane has been lobbying ever since for a change in the law to allow their life-saving initiative to go ahead, and met with Health Minister Leo Varadkar earlier this year. "We didn't hear back and we decided to abandon it about three months ago".Now however, UCC is on course to be the first university in the world to have EpiPens on campus. Hourihane expressed his delight at the end of a long campaign "Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, generalised reaction. The availability of Adrenaline, the most important drug in its treatment and the ability to administer it early after the onset of the reaction, is vital to a successful outcome. Speed is the key when it comes to treating anaphylaxis".Dublin teenager Emma Sloan, aged 14, died in 2013 on O'Connell Street after a pharmacy refused to give her an EpiPen. Thursday's announcement sees the introduction of new legislation allowing for more life-saving rescue medicines to be administered by trained members of the public such as glucagon for diabetic hypoglycaemia, adrenaline (epipens) for severe allergic reactions and glyceryl trinitrate for angina.Mr Varadkar said he would be allowing organisations such as colleges, workplaces and sports venues to hold emergency "rescue" medicines and arrange for staff to be trained in their use. Dr Michael Byrne commented that "To date UCC has had a number of notable successes in the health arena. It was in the context of having established a First Responder AED programme that I was approached by Professor Hourihane to seek to establish this Anaphylaxis Autoinjector Programme"."Today is a momentous day for us and for other third level institutions, workplaces and sports venues as they will be allowed to hold these medicines and arrange for staff to be trained in their use"The Department of Health said 16,722 people died after suffering a heart attack from multiple causes between 2007 and 2013. There were 359 deaths following an acute asthma attack, 17 from hypoglycaemia and four from severe allergic shock. It definitely seems UCC are taking a great first step with this initiative in improving the safety of the general public.