By Neil Trainis

Research carried out by Ipsos has found patients lack awareness of how to properly use adrenaline pens and some choose not to use them as a result.

The online study, conducted on behalf ready2reactuk which provides information about allergies and tries to educate consumers about the importance of regularly updating adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), revealed one in four of the 200 people surveyed do not always carry an adrenaline pen and less than half would feel “very confident” using one in an emergency. Respondents to the survey carried an adrenaline pen for themselves, their child or as a carer for another adult.

The study found 68 per cent did not know the expiry date of their adrenaline pen and 21 per cent did not even know they have an expiry date.

It also revealed that allergies can have a major psychological impact on sufferers and people close to them, with 73 per cent who suffer from severe allergies saying they affect their mental health or that of their child or adult they care for.

The impact allergies have on the ability of sufferers to do everyday activities such as going to restaurants, on holiday or attending work or school, was also highlighted. Sixty-eight per cent said their child’s allergy “always or sometimes” impacted their school attendance.

According to the NHS Digital, hospital admissions for allergy and anaphylaxis in England increased by almost 100 per cent between 2001-02 and 2021-22.

The ready2reactuk public awareness campaign is funded by Viatris Healthcare UK. Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founder and trustee of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation which supports ready2reactuk, said: “Everyone should know how to use an adrenaline pen. They are the first line of defence in an anaphylaxis emergency and aren’t difficult to administer, yet there is a misplaced fear surrounding them.”

The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation is named after Ednan-Laperouse’s daughter Natasha who died in July 2016 at the age of 15 after suffering a catastrophic allergic reaction having eaten a baguette containing sesame seeds.

“We know that the number of people with allergies in the UK is rising, so too are the number of people being hospitalised from anaphylaxis,” Tanya Ednan-Laperouse added.

“To keep people safe, we must educate the public about this life-threatening condition and change the narrative surrounding allergies.”