Incorrect perceptions of first-line treatment of severe allergic reactions with over-the-counter products and how the epinephrine drug delivery system impacts behavior

Background: Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Despite this, real-world epinephrine use remains suboptimal. Objective: In this survey study of patients and caregivers of patients with anaphylaxis, the objective was to characterize real-world use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications alone or before epinephrine and to evaluate factors inherent to epinephrine delivery devices in contributing to delayed epinephrine use. Methods: Participants included U.S. patients (n = 100) and caregivers of patients with immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated allergy (n = 100) who used an epinephrine autoinjector (EAI) in the past 12 months. A double-blind online survey evaluated allergy history, management of severe allergic reactions, and reasons for delaying epinephrine use. Results: Most respondents reported using OTC medications alone (88%) or before using an EAI (89%) to manage allergic reactions. During their most recent reactions, 42% of the respondents delayed or hesitated to use an EAI, with an average of 8.8 minutes before administration. The most impactful factor that contributes to delayed EAI use was concern about the device needle. Respondents who reported using OTC medications to manage most allergic reactions estimated that they would use needle-free epinephrine over OTC medications approximately three-fourths of the time. Conclusion: Despite potential risks of delaying using epinephrine, OTC medications are commonly used alone or before epinephrine use. Given the concerns about device needles identified in this survey, needle-free epinephrine offers an alternative to EAIs.