About the Spare Pens in Schools Campaign
This campaign’s objective is for a change in the law to allow schools, pre-schools and nurseries to hold generic adrenaline auto-injectors, known as AAIs, and ensure they have sufficient trained staff to operate the device in case of an emergency.
In the UK, up to 6% of children and young people have a food allergy. Children and young people diagnosed with allergy are frequently prescribed adrenaline auto-injector devices in case of a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Although the majority of children with anaphylaxis respond to a single adrenaline auto-injector, some children may require a further dose and it is possible that devices may misfire or be used incorrectly. Therefore, within schools, children at risk of anaphylaxis should have access to two adrenaline auto-injectors at all times.
Our FREE online anaphylaxis training course AllergyWise for Schools is designed to ensure that key staff in schools are fully aware of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, how to provide emergency treatment and the implications for management of severely allergic children from Key Stages 1 to 5 in an education setting. Find out more and register here.
This campaign is being led by the Anaphylaxis Campaign alongside Allergy UK, The British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI) British Paediatric Allergy Immunity and Infection Group (BPAIIG) and is supported by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Campaign News and Updates
Spare Pens in Schools: Department of Health release guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools
21st September 2017
Updated: 22nd September 2017 The Anaphylaxis Campaign is delighted to share that yesterday the Department of Health released its guidance document “Guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools” to help schools in England develop policies for keeping and using emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs). The guidance comes prior to new legislation coming into effect […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: New legislation allows ‘spare’ emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in schools
7th July 2017
New legislation was passed in Westminster this week to allow schools in the UK to keep spare adrenaline auto injectors (AAIs) for emergency use. AAI devices deliver a potentially life-saving dose of adrenaline in the event of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). The legislation comes into effect from 1 October 2017. A working group, made […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: Public consultation on proposals to change the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 opens
16th March 2017
Our spare adrenaline in schools campaign aims for a change in the law to allow schools, pre-schools and nurseries to hold generic adrenaline auto-injectors, and ensure they have sufficient trained staff to operate the device in case of an emergency. Following the recommendation of the Commission on Human Medicines, the government is proposing to change […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: Plans for amendment continue to progress positively
10th January 2017
The plans for an amendment to legislation which will allow schools to hold a spare adrenaline injector for use in case of emergencies continues to progress positively and we have just heard that this change is to come into effect in October of this year. We had hoped it would be sooner but some Government […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: MHRA begins process to change legislation
11th October 2016
We are delighted that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has agreed to begin the process to change legislation to allow schools to hold a spare adrenaline auto-injector (AAI). The “SUMMARY OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN MEDICINES MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2016” reported: “Supply of adrenaline auto-injectors to schools for emergency use in […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: MHRA considers the evidence
17th August 2016
Our campaign to allow schools across the UK to hold a generic adrenaline auto injector continues with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) now considering our evidence and work being carried out with the Department for Health on guidance for teachers. The next step will be a public consultation. We will keep you […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: the Anaphylaxis Campaign launches campaign to ensure adrenaline is stocked in all state schools
20th July 2015
Today, 4th November 2014, we have launched an important new initiative for our schools. If successful, this campaign will ensure every state school, pre-school and nursery have a stock of Adrenaline Auto-Injectors and there are sufficient trained staff to operate the devices. Adrenaline Auto-Injectors are prescribed to everyone at risk of a severe allergic reaction […]
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Spare Pens in Schools: Thank you to everyone who took part in our surveys
20th July 2015
Many thanks to everyone who recently completed our surveys to gather evidence for the campaign to allow generic adrenaline auto-injectors to be available in schools. Three surveys were open for parents of school aged children, healthcare professionals and teachers. 1,609 parents, 519 healthcare professionals (half of which were school nurses) and 821 teachers completed the […]
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