Epipens, or emergency doses of the life saving hormone epinephrine, are used by thousands of people every year to prevent death due to anaphylactic shock. For many people with severe allergies, their access to the drug is a matter of life or death.  An allergic reaction can cause a life threatening state of swelling of air passages within minutes.

But many people, more and more every year, can’t afford to have access to it. This is because Mylan, the company that solely produces the injectors with the drug in them, has been steadily increasing their prices for years. While the life saving dose of epinephrine only costs around a dollar, the market value of the two pack of emergency injectors has soared well above 500 dollars.

Shortly after the last price hike, the CEO of Mylan got a huge pay increase. Heather Bresch, chief executive of Mylan, received an over 600 percent increase in take home pay months after the price of epipens rose by 400 percent. Bresch’s pay went from just over 2 million to well over 18 million.

Young students have an especially important reliance on epipens injectors at school and on field trips where they could be too far away from emergency attention.  A situation can turn from fun and educational to deadly within minutes.  13 students at Holt currently have epipens registered with the school. “I’ve used one in my 20 years,” says Holt Nurse Kimberly Leal. “That one time was enough to make me know how important it is.” The nurse’s office has a set for emergencies and also has coupons for students who need access to them but can’t afford them.  However, even with a reduced price, because of how high it’s been raised, it may still be too expensive.