Gill on Gib
People in Gibraltar are being put in danger due to the non-availability of medical supplies at chemists of an injection known as EpiPen which is used to combat a serious medical issue which can be triggered by bee or wasp stings, or nut allergies.
A survey of all chemists in Gibraltar has revealed that supplies of the essential medication have dried up. When asked if there were people in Gibraltar that needed this life saving product "I was told that people were coming in asking for it every day for the last six months," reports Gillian Temple.
Her report follows:
It has come to my attention that Gibraltar is being failed by all the pharmaceutical business by failing to provide important and urgent medication. Anaphylactic shock is a serious medical issue which can be triggered by bee or wasp stings, or nut allergies. Death can result in many cases as the heart can go into cardiac arrest.
The EpiPen is an injection containing epinephrine, a chemical that narrows blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs , like adrenaline. These effects can reverse severe low blood pressure, wheezing, severe skin itching, hives, and other symptoms of an allergic reaction. Epinephrine is also used to treat exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Epipens come in two sizes. One for adults and one for juniors.
They are designed to be carried around by the most vulnerable people that are affected by severe allergic reactions. the user removes the lid and thrusts the pen into the top of their thigh, which automatically administers a dose. These pens are life saving devices, more so than an asthmatic's inhaler, and have been on the market since the 1980s, first made for military use.
I spent the day travelling around every chemist in Gibraltar asking if they had a stock of epipens available. Each and every chemist told the same story . They receive their supply from the United Kingdom and that their suppliers were unable to get hold of stock from the Pharmaceutical companies. Each pharmacy said that they had been ordering them on a weekly basis and that none were available. Furthermore it wasn't the suppliers that were at fault but the actual manufacturers that had stopped making the pens.
When asked if there were people in Gibraltar that needed this vital life saving product I was told that people were coming in asking for it every day for the last six months.
FULL REPORT IN PANORAMA PRINT EDITION AND E-EDITION
24-10-18 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR
People in Gibraltar being put in danger