Ok, I know I haven't written anything in quite awhile. While I don't have a good excuse for myself, this young lady's story was something I just had to speak up about. Although her story may not be due to a healthcare industry issue, my connection to her story does. As someone who also suffers from very severe allergies, and should carry an Epi-Pen at all times, I was mortified to hear about how Danielle Dupperault was treated by her supervisor.
While at work, Danielle came into contact with a food item that she has a known, and potentially life-threatening allergy to. Having suffered anaphylactic reactions myself, I know that this can be a frightening experience. Instead of offering to call for an ambulance, or offer her any kind of assistance, her supervisor pretty much ignored her. Fortunately, a friend and coworker came to her aid, taking her to a medical clinic where she was administered epinephrine, then transferred to a hospital for further treatment. During the time that Danielle was being treated for her anaphylactic reaction, her supervisor fired both her and the coworker who came to her aid... via text message!
On other forums, such as this article about Danielle's plight from BuzzFeed, many people have landblasted her and tried to put her at fault for not having her Epi-Pen with her at the time of this incident. She even concedes in her post that her prescription had expired and that she was in need of a new one. Here, allow me note that this incident occurred in Canada. She states a desire for businesses to have Epi-Pens on hand, and for staff to be trained on using them in case someone suffers a life-threatening allergic reaction on the premises. Here in the U.S., that isn't an option due to requirements for administration of prescription medications only to the person they are prescribed to. That issue aside however...
I too must concede that I currently do not carry an Epi-Pen, although I should. With an insurance premium of over $500 per month, it was still nearly $200 to get an appointment with a doctor just to get a new prescription written, THEN $390 to fill the prescription! When you have a family of 4, including 2 starving teenagers who seem to eat non-stop, that's a pretty hefty chunk of change.
Either insurance or drug companies should make an effort to make these life saving medications more easily accessible to those who need them! Many insurance companies have made moves recently to provide birth control options at little or no cost, so why can't they do this with medications that can save someone's life?! While it is true that even after administering an Epi-Pen a person should still seek medical attention, an epinephrine auto injector can literally mean the difference between being alive by the time they get that medical attention, or death.
I was pleased to hear that the company Danielle worked for- Urban Planet- has apologized to her and is trying to make things right with her.
While at work, Danielle came into contact with a food item that she has a known, and potentially life-threatening allergy to. Having suffered anaphylactic reactions myself, I know that this can be a frightening experience. Instead of offering to call for an ambulance, or offer her any kind of assistance, her supervisor pretty much ignored her. Fortunately, a friend and coworker came to her aid, taking her to a medical clinic where she was administered epinephrine, then transferred to a hospital for further treatment. During the time that Danielle was being treated for her anaphylactic reaction, her supervisor fired both her and the coworker who came to her aid... via text message!
On other forums, such as this article about Danielle's plight from BuzzFeed, many people have landblasted her and tried to put her at fault for not having her Epi-Pen with her at the time of this incident. She even concedes in her post that her prescription had expired and that she was in need of a new one. Here, allow me note that this incident occurred in Canada. She states a desire for businesses to have Epi-Pens on hand, and for staff to be trained on using them in case someone suffers a life-threatening allergic reaction on the premises. Here in the U.S., that isn't an option due to requirements for administration of prescription medications only to the person they are prescribed to. That issue aside however...
I too must concede that I currently do not carry an Epi-Pen, although I should. With an insurance premium of over $500 per month, it was still nearly $200 to get an appointment with a doctor just to get a new prescription written, THEN $390 to fill the prescription! When you have a family of 4, including 2 starving teenagers who seem to eat non-stop, that's a pretty hefty chunk of change.
Either insurance or drug companies should make an effort to make these life saving medications more easily accessible to those who need them! Many insurance companies have made moves recently to provide birth control options at little or no cost, so why can't they do this with medications that can save someone's life?! While it is true that even after administering an Epi-Pen a person should still seek medical attention, an epinephrine auto injector can literally mean the difference between being alive by the time they get that medical attention, or death.
I was pleased to hear that the company Danielle worked for- Urban Planet- has apologized to her and is trying to make things right with her.