Recently, I was contacted by Activeaide of Australia regarding their Auto Injector Pouch. While I know there are a variety of auto injector carriers on the market, I hadn't tried one previously. I have been carrying my son's Epi-pens in a now beaten-up looking Hefty OneZip bag where I also store a couple of Benadryl Perfect Measures, hydrocortisone, and Desonide Ointment (see below). I just did not want to spend the money on a carrier or a pouch! When I deem the bag is "too old", I simply replace it with a new one.
I decided to test out the pouch sent by Activeaide. It's very attractive and looks well-made. It also looks very durable and would clearly outlast multiple Ziplocs or Hefty OneZips in my purse. It's insulated and padded, two very practical features that my OneZip lacks. In the summers, I had been resorting to just using one of our insulated lunch bags for long car rides, but I must admit an insulated epi-pen size carrier makes much more sense. There's even a panel just inside the cover with lines to write your (or your child's) name and telephone number--that would be great for school, camp, or daycare. Now that I think of it, our school nurse keeps tens of disposable plastic bags containing epi-pens with the allergic kids' names on the outside. I can foresee a circumstance where one child's epipen might get put into another child's ziploc, but if it were in an epi-pen sized carrier like the one by Activeaide, with the name and phone filled out, that could be less likely to happen.
The carrier has strong elastic loops on the back for wearing on your belt and also has a key ring. I wore the Activeaide carrier on my belt on an easy 1 and 1/2 mile hike at a Massachusetts Audubon Society sanctuary. One thing I noticed during our hike is that it is extremely lightweight. When we returned to our car, I just popped it off the belt and plopped it back in my handbag. It's a nice product and I think it is well worth the money.
You can order an Activeaide Pouch online on the Activeaide website, www.activeaide.com. Just select your geographic region on their website and then place your order. If you are in the U.S., the individual pouch sells for $20.80 and the twin pouch--made to accommodate two auto injectors--is $28.05. The single size pouches come in navy blue and yellow, while the twin comes in a teal/turquoise color. Activeaide also sells a waist band and ID tag as well, which you can view on their website. Shipping is set at $10.50 (a flat rate), which is a great deal for purchases of more than one pouch. Perhaps support groups could place one order for a number of members, so each individual would pay very little for shipping. (I myself am going to see if another parent of a food allergic child around here is interested, so I can order a twin pouch.)
3 comments:
I used to use plastic bags but now use a small cosmetic bag to carry the Epi-pen, Benadryl and inhalers.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Hi Vivian! Thanks for your comment! The cosmetics bag is a good idea, actually. Many of them can accommodate leaking bottles too. I may get one for the inhaler and other eczema/allergy related items I have in my handbag. I like the idea of keep the epi-pens separate b/c those are the things I have to leave with Grandma & Grandpa when I drop the kids off to do a quick errand.
Those are cute! We're currently using a soft-sided pencil case.
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