Shortage of EpiPens to Treat Severe Allergic Reactions Has Consumers Concerned

Toronto mom Pauline Osena with her boys Lucien, 6, and Xavier, 2, both of whom have severe food allergies, and her daughter Anika, 4, on April 17, 2018. The Canadian Press/Cole Burston

TORONTO—Pauline Osena knows how crucial it is to have EpiPens close at hand for her two young sons, who are at risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis because of multiple food allergies.

So it’s no surprise that the latest short supply of the emergency rescue medication—an auto-injectable device that delivers a shot of symptom-relieving epinephrine—has her worried.