New study reveals expired epipans still work. Amid all the bad news, like skyrocketing costs, surrounding a pine a fri-notto injector brand epipan, a new study published in the annals of Internal Medicine Monday reveals some good news, this potentially life-saving medication can be effective long after its expiration date. CNN reports that after manufacturer Milen developed less expensive versions of its bends in the wake of the price scandal, researchers looked into how potent and safe expired devices remained. They looked at the epipan-a-frying concentration of 40 expired epipans and a Pappin JRS, and found that 29 months after their expiration date had passed, the pens contained about 90% of the medication. Meanwhile, four years post-experation, 84% of the epipan-a-frying remained. Essentially, all of these would still be in the recommended therapeutic range, commented Dr. Thomas Cossale, executive vice president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asma, and Immunology. He added, until those labels are changed, patients are in a bad situation, because they're concerned about having a life-threatening event and not having a medicine that's effective. We do not yet know if Milen plans to change the expiration dates. Meanwhile, it's important to note that lead researcher Lee Cantrell says, our paper is not suggesting that people take expired medication. Want the latest parenting news? Sign up for our parent's daily newsletter but the takeaway is this, if your child or someone you know is suffering from an allergic reaction, administering an expired epipan is better than nothing, as it likely contains some amount of a pine aphrine. Let you obviously want to call 911 as well, and make sure the person gets immediate medical attention. Talk to your child's doctor if you have any concerns or questions about this latest study. And obviously, the best way to treat a life-threatening allergic reaction is to use an epipan that has not expired. Melissa Willitz is a writer, blogger and soon to be mom of four. Find her on Facebook where she chronicles her life-momming under the influence of yoga.