A group of physicians who call themselves Four Thieves Vinegar Collective is offering a free online guide for how to make a homemade version of the EpiPen for only $30, reported CNN Money.
On Sept. 19, the medical collective posted a tutorial on YouTube showing consumers how to make the "EpiPencil" — an epinephrine auto-injector that can be entirely assembled from off the shelf parts in a matter of minutes, according to the video.
"It functions just as well as an EpiPen," says Four Thieves Vinegar member Michael Laufer, PhD, in the video. "With no special training, anybody can use it."
All of the device's components are available online, except the epinephrine, which requires a prescription.
While Dr. Laufer said the group was giving the public "requisite information to empower themselves to manage their own health," some industry experts are concerned about the consequences of consumers making their own medical devices.
"If your child is having a life-threatening allergic reaction, you want to make sure they get the right medicine, at the right time, at the right dose. An EpiPen will give you what you need but you can't guarantee that with this other device," said Jennifer Miller, PhD, professor of medical ethics at New York University, in a Spectrum report. "[Dr. Laufer's] basically saying we should deregulate drugs, and allow anyone to make anything. That is not safe. We once had that system, and people died from it," she said.
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