New Oklahoma Law Aims To Keep You Alive In An Emergency

A new law on the books in Oklahoma allows any organization to keep a stock of EPI-pens that anyone can use in the case of an emergency. But I found out not many of the places that could benefit from the new law even know about it.  

Rhonda Reidy has been at Miss Helen's Private School in Tulsa for 35 years and says some of her kids have food allergies.   

The Centers For Disease Control says about 1 in 16 children have them.  Some of those kids would need epinephrine shots in an emergency to save their lives.  

"Fortunately, we've never had the opportunity or need to use those, and that's the way we plan to continue," said Rhonda Reidy.  

Miss Helen's was just one of many organizations that I called who hadn't heard of Oklahoma's new EPI-pen law, that took effect November 1, 2015. 

I ask her if she had about the new law.  

"No, we did not. That information has not come through the school," said Rhonda Reidy. 

The law says, in part: "a physician may prescribe a stock of epinephrine auto-injectors to any entity or organization for storage in a locked, secure container." 

Miss Helen's says they already have EPI-pen policies and training in place, but Reidy along with almost every organization I called, are now looking for more information about the new law.

"If the legislature feels it's important enough to pass that, you know, you kind of need a follow-through as far as letting whoever it's affecting know," said Rhonda Reidy. 

The law's not clear who is responsible for letting schools and businesses know about it.  But there are three state agencies in charge of setting the rules for it. 

I called all three agencies and only Oklahoma's Board of Pharmacy got back with me. And a spokeswoman told me it doesn't appear the law needs any extra rules created around it.  She says she's fielded a handful of calls from organizations about the law, but as far as promoting the law, she told me there's no plans to do that.  

A copy of the new is available on the Oklahoma Legislature website.