EpiPens in school: guidance and risk assessments

Spare EpiPens can be used in an emergency

All schools in England are allowed to buy EpiPens and other adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) without a prescription and keep these for emergency use.

This is optional. Schools don’t have to keep spare EpiPens if they don’t want to.

Below, we cover the main points from the Department of Health’s guidance on keeping EpiPens in schools.

They can be used for pupils:

• Who are known to be at risk of anaphylaxis
• Where medical authorisation and written parental consent has been provided
• Whose own device is not available or not working

Any spare EpiPens held by a school should be in addition to those already held by a pupil. They are not a replacement for a pupil’s own devices.

This is covered on pages 2 to 3 of the guidance mentioned above.

Buying, storing, maintaining and disposing of EpiPens

You must pay for EpiPens as