Wasp surge leaves allergy emergency medicines in short supply

Emergency medicines for people with severe allergies are in short supply in Austrian pharmacies because of a surge in wasps, ORF reported. The adrenaline emergency injector EpiPen is currently unavailable in Austria and is not expected to return until September.

Pharmacist Sandra Treven in Ferlach said wholesalers were receiving only small quantities. Supply should improve in about four weeks, she said.

Alternative products can be ordered through wholesalers in Germany, but customers face a wait. Hans Bachitsch, a spokesman for the Carinthian Chamber of Pharmacists, said Austrian import rules prevent pharmacies from keeping larger quantities of German products in stock, meaning each order must be placed individually.

Bachitsch said demand had risen sharply only in recent days. Most wasp stings cause pain and swelling but do not require an EpiPen. The injector is reserved for anaphylactic shock involving acute circulatory collapse and breathing difficulties, which can in extreme cases lead to cardiac arrest.

The wasp surge has also led to a rise in emergency callouts. The Red Cross recorded 670 deployments for allergic reactions across Carinthia since July 1, four times as many as during the same period last year.