A bill that would provide for stock epinephrine in places of public accommodation has passed the New Jersey legislature. The Epinephrine Access and Emergency Treatment Act now awaits signature by Governor Chris Christie to become state law.
The legislation would allow individuals who have completed an approved training course to maintain and administer epinephrine auto-injectors for emergency use, and employers of those individuals to obtain stock epinephrine for use by them. The legislation also provides the necessary “Good Samaritan” provisions to shield all involved from liability when epinephrine is administered in good faith during an anaphylactic emergency.
The term “stock epinephrine” means epinephrine that is prescribed for general use in case of an anaphylactic emergency. Anaphylaxis is a serious, sometimes life-threatening allergic reaction to a food, medication or insect sting. Epinephrine is the only approved treatment for anaphylaxis and should be administered as soon as anaphylaxis is suspected.
The bill, having passed the Assembly with a vote of 77-0 and the Senate with a vote of 35-0, provides for establishments to voluntarily obtain stock epinephrine but does not mandate they do so.
We at SnackSafely.com wholeheartedly support this legislation and urge Governor Christie to sign it as soon as possible. We also urge other state legislatures to follow suit and adopt their own legislation to facilitate ubiquitous access to emergency epinephrine. We advocate that epinephrine be made available in all places of public accommodation everywhere.
