For the roughly 40 million Americans who suffer from severe allergies that could lead to anaphylactic shock, having a pair of EpiPen's on hand could mean the difference between life and death.
In the US, the average price of a two-dose package has climbed to more than $600 dollars this year, often times more.
This leads some doctors to order their patients the drug from Canadian suppliers. Others, are crossing the border themselves.
The 7 Investigators wanted to know how easy and affordable it would be to get the EpiPen in Canada. We traveled to Windsor, a city ripe with pharmacies, and walked inside the popular Shoppers Drug Mart.
We approached the pharmacy counter and asked for a price.
"It's a lot less than the states," one pharmacist said.
$137 dollars for one injector.
Thats $105 U.S. $210 for two. At least a $500 savings over the cheapest U.S. options. And without a prescription, something needed in the US.
Pfizer Canada distributes EpiPens through a licensing agreement with Mylan, the U.S. owner of the brand.
Pfizer Canada says there has been no price change in recent years. Mylan says in the US they get $274 dollars on the sale of a 2 pack. The other 400 or so dollars goes to U.S. insurers and wholesalers the drugmaker claims. But many lawmakers and patients aren't buying it.
