Atropens to Expire

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By EMS Coordinator Mike McEvoy, Saratoga County
NYSAFC Director – EMS

The New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS announced last month that atropine auto-injector pens issued three years ago to all ambulance services will expire shortly. There are no plans to replace or resupply expiring pens, according to DOH. Services that currently carry the auto-injectors should inspect their expiration dates and discard any expired pens per agency policy. Shelf life extension plans (SLEP) used to extend use of other chemical preparedness medications have not been applied to meds carried in EMS vehicles, although DOH notes nothing would preclude an agency from inquiring about expiration date extensions directly with the FDA.