COLUMBUS, Ohio — Students with severe allergies will soon have another option for carrying emergency epinephrine at Ohio schools.
House Bill 462 expands Ohio’s allergy-response requirements to allow schools and camps to use any epinephrine device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including nasal-spray forms. The bill passed unanimously in both the Ohio House and Senate before being signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine this week.
Previously, Ohio law primarily addressed epinephrine auto-injectors, such as EpiPens. The new law applies to public and private schools, charter schools, STEM schools and camps, and allows those facilities to keep approved epinephrine products on hand for emergencies involving students, staff or visitors.
Students with a prescription and parental permission may carry and use approved epinephrine devices at school and during school-sponsored activities. The law also extends existing legal protections for schools, camps and health care providers to the newer delivery methods.
