MHRA consults on proposals to allow schools to keep spare adrenaline nasal sprays on site

Around 8% of children and young people in the UK have a food allergy. Some are at risk of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate treatment with adrenaline. 

Today, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is launching a consultation on proposals that would allow schools to purchase and keep spare adrenaline nasal sprays for emergency use in children with severe allergies. The consultation is being carried out UK-wide, jointly with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

Schools can already hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors for emergencies. Given that around 20% of serious allergic reactions to food happen in a school setting, the consultation is seeking views on allowing schools to hold adrenaline nasal sprays in the same way.  

Under the proposals, schools could choose whether to hold adrenaline auto-injectors, adrenaline nasal sprays, or both. The existing safeguards would remain, meaning emergency adrenaline could only be given to children known to be at risk of anaphylaxis and by appropriately trained school staff. 

The consultation also seeks views on how the proposals would work in practice.

Julian Beach, MHRA Executive Director, Operations, said:  

“Ensuring children and young people with allergies have access to medicines in an emergency situation is vital.  

“Adrenaline nasal sprays would provide an additional treatment option for children at risk of anaphylaxis – a serious and life-threatening condition.  

“Through this consultation we want to understand if schools should be able to buy and hold these products alongside or in place of the adrenaline auto-injectors they can already stock. 

“Our proposal is designed to ensure that medicines legislation keeps up with developments in healthcare while ensuring safeguards that support the safe use of emergency adrenaline in schools remain in place.