How to Avoid Sticking Yourself with the EpiPen

For the official instructions on how to safely administer the EpiPen, the company directs you to the patient insert or their instructional video. They are very careful to tell you NEVER put your thumb, finger or hand over the black tip! But at a recent Gateway FEAST meeting, our guest speaker, Dr. Michael Borts shared how he makes it a practice to ask, "Show me how you use the EpiPen!" and notes how many times he has had to correct patients in his office. Dr. Borts made an excellent suggestion:

Instead of holding the auto-injector as shown on the left, hold in it the middle (as shown below). He explained that it's the pressure on the black tip (the one that is ideally against your child's or your own thigh) that triggers the release of the shot, not the pressure on the grey tip. If you get in the habit of avoiding BOTH ends, you greatly reduce your chances of sticking yourself in the process!