How long should you hold an EpiPen in place?

EpiPen Canada's instructions are: remove the blue safety cap by pulling straight up, place the orange tip against the middle of the outer thigh (through clothing if needed), push hard until you hear a pop, then count slowly, one, two, three, and remove it. Call 911 right after.

At the CSACI meeting in October 2026, Western University researchers reported timing how fast the needle comes out of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr devices: about 0.05 to 0.06 seconds on average, in-date and expired, and 0.11 seconds for the slowest device. They suggested patient education could change in future, because the time needed is so short.

That's a reason for further study, not a new instruction. The study timed the needle, not the whole dose. Until the maker changes its instructions, count to three. Holding too briefly risks pulling the device away before the dose is complete, and another Western University team lists removing the injector before the full dose is delivered among the problems patients run into. If you have a trainer, practise with it.