Yes.

As a result of the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 schools have been permitted to buy AAI devices without a prescription, for emergency use in children who are at risk of anaphylaxis but their own device is not available or not working (e.g. because it is broken, or out-of-date) - or case they require a further dose of adrenaline.

In an emergency scenario, anyone can administer any adrenaline pen on anyone for the purpose of saving a life.

For more information on this (directly from the MHRA clarification document), please click here.

…

Adrenaline pens are a prescription-only medicine, with specific exceptions needing to be in place for anyone who’s not a prescribed individual to purchase them.

In the Human Medicines Regulations 2017 Amendment, schools (registered primary & secondaries) were given an exemption, making it easy for them to buy spare adrenaline pens for emergency use.

For any sort of business to purchase spare adrenaline pens, the regulations state that an OHS (occupational health scheme) must be in place. This includes everything from theme parks, offices, hotels, restaurants, airports… and everything in between!

We are currently working towards supplying organisations through OHS - if you’re interested in signing up for our pilot then please get in touch!

Yes.

Hesitation around using adrenaline pens is a huge problem. As leading allergy Professor Adam Fox says, “It's not harmful at all. It's a very, very safe drug. If you suspect that anything severe is happening - that's the time to get on and give it (adrenaline). And the great thing is, is that as well as being really safe, it's extremely effective. So even if it wasn't that bad a reaction, then you're still going to feel a lot better a lot quicker as a consequence of using it.” (Click here to watch our full interview).

Therefore, based on the current evidence, the benefit of using appropriate doses of intramuscular adrenaline far exceeds the risk in an allergic emergency.

Yes.

As a result of the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 schools have been permitted to buy AAI devices without a prescription, for emergency use in children who are at risk of anaphylaxis but their own device is not available or not working (e.g. because it is broken, or out-of-date).

For more information on this, click here.

Yes.

Severe anaphylaxis is a time-critical situation: delays in administering adrenaline have been associated with fatal reactions. All AAI devices – including those prescribed to the pupil themselves, as well as any spare AAI(s) – must:

- Be accessible at all times, in a safe and suitably central location e.g. school office or staffroom.

- NOT be locked away in a cupboard or kept in an office where access is restricted.

AAIs should not be located more than 5 minutes away from where they may be needed. This is especially important to consider in larger schools, e.g. how far is the central dining area, to the playground?

Spare AAI devices in the emergency kit should be kept separate from any AAIs prescribed to pupils and clearly labelled as such. In general, AAIs should be kept at room temperature (in line with manufacturer’s guidelines), away from direct sunlight and extremes of temperature. They should not be stored in a refrigerator.

For more info on guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools, click here.

We designed Kitt specifically to store your school’s spare set of adrenaline auto-injectors safely in accessible locations. Click here to enquire with us today to find out more.

Yes.

The Department of Health has stated that it is reasonable for ALL staff to:

- Be trained to recognise the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction (understanding the rapidity with which anaphylaxis can progress to a life-threatening reaction, and that anaphylaxis may occur with or without prior mild symptoms such as skin rash);

- Be aware of how to access the AAI and appreciate the need to administer adrenaline without delay as soon as anaphylaxis occurs (before the patient might reach a state of collapse, after which it may be too late for the adrenaline to be effective);

- Be aware of the school anaphylaxis policy and pupil allergy register;

For more information on this (directly from the MHRA guidance), please click here.

We include a CPD-accredited online training course with every Anaphylaxis Kitt subscription, covering information on allergies and anaphylaxis including symptoms recognition and treatment procedures, accessible to all school staff.

Click here to enquire with us today to find out more.

Yes & No.

It is up to individual schools to decide when it is best to obtain parental/guardian consent for use of an AAI. The most appropriate time is probably when a pupil’s individual healthcare plan is agreed. Consent should be updated annually or when there are any changes to the treatment plan.

Like adults, young people (aged 16 or 17) are presumed to have sufficient capacity to decide on their own medical treatment, unless there's significant evidence to suggest otherwise. Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they're believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to appreciate what's involved in their treatment fully. Otherwise, someone with parental responsibility can consent for them.

If a pupil is experiencing anaphylaxis but does not have the required authorisation/consent for a spare adrenaline pen to be used (perhaps they weren’t even previously aware they had an allergy), a trained staff member who believes it to be a life-threatening scenario can act accordingly and use a spare adrenaline pen from the Kitt (Always call 999 in an emergency).

Yes.

Schools have a legal duty to make arrangements for pupils with medical conditions (including those with food allergies) under the Children and Families Act 2014. This requirement is supported by the statutory guidance Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (linked here). All pupils with medical conditions – including food allergies – should have an Individual Healthcare Plan agreed between the parents and the school. This is particularly important where an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) has been prescribed for use in emergencies.

The Department of Health recommends that schools keep a register of pupils to whom the spare AAI(s) can be administered. Schools may find it helpful to keep this list in the Emergency Anaphylaxis kit, in which case it is vital to ensure the list is kept up-to-date.

The school’s policy should include a procedure for allowing a quick check of the Allergy register as part of initiating the emergency response (this should NEVER delay treatment!). This does not need to be undertaken by the designated member of staff, but the register should be easily accessible. Alternatively, allowing pupils to keep their AAI(s) with them allows for confirmation of consent without the need to check the register.