EpiPen Storage

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Specializes in Geriatric Home Health, High School Nurse.

Our EpiPens are currently in an unlocked drawer in the clinic. I am not crazy about this location because while it is labeled, I don't think anyone other than me could find them in an emergency. I would like a more visible option, but I am not sure what that would be. An over the door shoe holder sounds good in theory, but again, someone would need to know to look behind the door and to pull them all out for evac sounds too time consuming. I've also looked into Safety Sacks, which I've seen hung from a curtain rod or towel bar. I like this idea, but the Safety Sacks are pretty pricey. Anyone have an organizational system they absolutely love?

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I'm assuming that you get your epipens free from epipens4schools? They have bright yellow epi lockers that you can order for free. I ordered 2 for each of my schools, one is kept in the office and the other is zip tied shut in the cafeterias. Each epi locker has 1 jr and adult dose. Everyone SHOULD know where they're at.

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Specializes in Geriatric Home Health, High School Nurse.
1 minute ago, ihavealltheice said:

I'm assuming that you get your epipens free from epipens4schools? They have bright yellow epi lockers that you can order for free. I ordered 2 for each of my schools, one is kept in the office and the other is zip tied shut in the cafeterias. Each epi locker has 1 jr and adult dose. Everyone SHOULD know where they're at.

Unfortunately, our district does not allow us to have stock EpiPens, so parents must provide them for their children. That being said, I work in a high school so most kids self carry, but I do have a few that keep them with me. I going to look into the epi lockers. Thank you!

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Just now, SchoolNurseK said:

Unfortunately, our district does not allow us to have stock EpiPens, so parents must provide them for their children. That being said, I work in a high school so most kids self carry, but I do have a few that keep them with me. I going to look into the epi lockers. Thank you!

Oooh, OK, got it. Sorry, I misunderstood!

They probably wouldn't suite your needs. I would get a shoe organizer. It works great. I was using that for a while until I had admin come in and tell me that I needed to keep all meds locked up, including emergency meds. It wasn't worth the fight, so I complied. Now, I just keep them locked in my cabinet with my daily and prn meds. But, I do use dividers to make sure they're separated and well labeled.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Emergency Room, School Nurse.

I keep our Epi Pens in our AED cabinets. We have two one on each end of the school so one stays in the cabinet next to my office and the other is in our Main Gym. I also got a yellow case that was mounted in the Cafeteria.

The other thing that I have heard some other nurses do is Velcro them next to the door or easy access that is out of site, but easily accessible.

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Mine are in tupperware containers in a cabinet above my desk. Could you make certain people aware of where they are for evacuation situations? Show them exactly where it is and have them pull them out for fire drills?

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"I don't think anyone other than me could find them in an emergency". This drives me crazy. Isn't it the whole clinical staff's responsibility to know where they're located?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Emergency Room, School Nurse.
15 minutes ago, 2BS Nurse said:

"I don't think anyone other than me could find them in an emergency". This drives me crazy. Isn't it the whole clinical staff's responsibility to know where they're located?

I completely understand your frustration. When I started at my school no one even known that we had Epi pens in the clinic or had an AED on grounds. I made our principle put that in our Faculty handbook and Crisis Management Manuel. So that they can't say they had no idea since they have to sign that they read it every year.

Also when we do the beginning of the school year training with all the Staff & teachers I use that opportunity to remind them where everything is located, part of the training at my school is knowing how to properly use an Epi Pen.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

i keep mine in a24087fl_lg.jpg type thing. I actually have 2 - one for epis and one for inhalers. So it's working out for me.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Emergency Room, School Nurse.
7 minutes ago, Flare said:

i keep mine in a24087fl_lg.jpg type thing. I actually have 2 - one for epis and one for inhalers. So it's working out for me.

@Flare I like that drawer system, I currently use the stacking plastic drawers and small dollar tree buckets labeled. That was an upgrade from the old system of ziplock bags through in the cabinet.

How big is that and where did you come across those I may have to put that on my budget. It would work out some much better since I can label them easier.

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I think it was about $80 from school health. The drawers are wide enough to keep an epipen in its box or an inhaler in its box. It is not wide enough to keep an inhaler in it's box and a spacer, so for those I keep them separate in a cabinet with a bright post it reminding me to get the spacer.

I write student last name and med expiration on the sticky part of a post-it to label the drawers.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Check out Harbor Freight for their plastic storage organizer for small parts:

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-drawer-storage-organizer-99896.html

I got larger one there 2 yrs ago, less than $25.00.

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