Why do people hesitate to use an EpiPen?

A study of 483 food-induced anaphylaxis cases at nine Canadian emergency departments found that only 41% of people who had an auto-injector with them used it before reaching hospital. At the CSACI meeting in October 2026, a Western University team working on patient education mapped what gets in the way, from meetings with patients, caregivers and clinic staff and a review of the research: anxiety or fear about using the device, not knowing the symptoms well, lack of practice, and mistakes such as accidentally removing the blue safety cap or pulling the injector away before the full dose was delivered.

Confidence can be built. The same team is testing a short educational video, and its early, self-reported results look encouraging, though the data are still being analysed. Practise with a trainer, keep your emergency plan with the epinephrine, and brief every caregiver.

A ResQBand Tap Card puts the maker's steps on the helper's own phone at the moment they're needed: tapped with most phones, it says to use the epinephrine now and call 911.