Leading experts provide recommendations to support the effective and safe use of adrenaline auto-injectors
The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) welcomes the recommendations from the Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) report on adrenaline auto-injectors.
The recommendations include the prescribing and use of adrenaline auto-injectors and the effective implementation of these through clear and consistent communications. The report considers the feasibility of wider availability of adrenaline auto-injectors in public places (the same way as defibrillators) and the improved data collection and adverse event reporting.
The Expert Working Group recommend that a comprehensive in-depth fatal anaphylaxis registry of UK cases would be a highly informative resource on many aspects of anaphylaxis including usage of AAIs in relation to outcome. BSACI in partnership with Manchester Foundation Trust have obtained funding from the Foods Standards Agency to re-establish the UKs Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry, to enable us to analyse data from suspected anaphylaxis deaths, to better understand the risks and causes of fatal anaphylaxis.
Overall BSACI welcomes this report and was pleased to have BSACI representatives from both primary and secondary care on the Expert Working Group.
Further work will be undertaken on the implementation of this report and how this can be delivered in an accessible and timely way across the health system by all stakeholders.
Further to the 2016 BSACI ‘Prescribing of an adrenaline auto injector’ guideline for specialists BSACI will soon be publishing practical primary guidance for adrenaline prescribing for those working in primary care.
Dr Elizabeth Angier member of the MHRA Expert Working Group and co-author of the BSACI primary care guidance for adrenaline prescribing along with Dr Deepa Choudhury explains:
The important task is to now look at how we implement the recommendations to make a difference to our patients. Patients should have clear communication about the risks involved with anaphylaxis explained, know how and when to use an adrenaline device, and be given support with both acute and long management of anaphylaxis. Initial and ongoing training of the adrenaline devices is key and should be accessible across the health system. From the primary care perspective, good communication with specialists and our patients is vital alongside the time to do this. The BSACI auto injector guidance for primary care practitioners fully supports the recommendations in the report.
Click here to read the MHRA report
Click here to read a press release from MHRA