Uruguayan families affected by severe allergies and anaphylaxis risks are demanding national access to epinephrine auto-injectors. According to community representatives who met with health authorities on August 21, current emergency treatment options inside the country are limited to hospital-grade ampoules that require complex dosing outside clinical settings.
The Emergency Access Barrier in Uruguay
The push for epinephrine auto-injectors brought advocates to Parliament’s Health Commission and to a direct meeting with Laura Llambí, Director General of Health at the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), according to community member Maite Icasuriaga in an interview with El País. While liquid adrenaline exists in Uruguay, it is distributed strictly in ampoules meant for intrahospital use. Icasuriaga, whose four-year-old son Felipe has lived with severe allergy and anaphylaxis diagnoses since he was 18 months old, noted that families find themselves without proper rescue medication for out-of-hospital emergencies.
Administering 0.15 milliliters of adrenaline from a standard one-milliliter syringe during an emergency outside a hospital is impractical for parents, teachers, or caregivers under pressure, Icasuriaga explained to El País. In contrast, an auto-injector provides a pre-measured dose rapidly and simply while waiting for professional medical transport.
Domestic Survey Reveals High Unmet Need
Because Uruguay lacks an official national registry tracking individuals at risk of anaphylaxis, the advocacy community conducted an informal domestic survey across Montevideo, Canelones, and Maldonado. The grassroots poll identified 150 patients with severe allergy diagnoses, finding that 75% of them currently lack an epinephrine auto-injector, as reported by El País.
Icasuriaga emphasized that this sample size is limited and that the actual population is likely larger due to underdiagnosis. Beyond the lack of devices, families face severe administrative and financial hurdles, including a scarcity of pediatric allergists and diagnostic testing costs that can exceed US$ 500 out-of-pocket.
High Costs of Importing Devices from Abroad
With auto-injectors unavailable domestically, families frequently turn to neighboring Argentina, Europe, or Chile to secure the devices. According to statements given to El País, importing a single unit from Argentina costs between US$ 500 and US$ 600. Because the devices are single-use items with an approximate one-year expiration window, families must continually negotiate with foreign pharmacies and navigate strict local prescription requirements.
While some families have successfully sourced alternatives in Europe for roughly 160 euros per two-pack, the process remains burdened by logistical, economic, and bureaucratic barriers. The community’s parliamentary document stresses that Uruguay still lacks a stable, predictable mechanism to guarantee continuous local availability.
Ministry of Public Health Response
During the August 21 meeting, MSP officials told the community that a permanent solution requires a pharmaceutical laboratory to officially register the auto-injector in Uruguay. However, due to the small size of the local market, commercial registration remains unappealing to manufacturers, according to El País.
As an interim measure, the MSP is exploring pathways to work with a laboratory willing to import the devices through an exception mechanism without prior local registration. Icasuriaga noted that while the ministry indicated discussions with potential importers are underway, officials have not yet provided a definitive timeline or distribution framework.
Comprehensive Policy Demands
The community’s document calls for an overarching national strategy that includes adding epinephrine auto-injectors to official medication lists, subsidizing secure access, and training healthcare workers. Advocates also urge the implementation of clear food allergen labeling laws to reduce accidental exposure, alongside mandates requiring auto-injectors in high-traffic public spaces—similar to existing regulations for automated external defibrillators.
The group is formalizing its structure into an organization tentatively named Alérgicos Múltiples Uruguay (AMU) to protect individuals with severe allergic conditions. “The central objective is that no person with a risk of anaphylaxis remains exposed to a potentially fatal situation due to not having a rapid administration tool for adrenaline at the necessary moment,” Icasuriaga stated to El País.
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