University of Maryland may soon add EpiPens to dining halls

In an effort to address the danger of student allergies, the University of Maryland is looking to make EpiPens available in its dining halls by the time spring break rolls around, The Diamondback reports.

Each dining hall would have multiple two-pack EpiPens on hand, which would cost about $1,000 per eatery, Dining Services Director Colleen Wright-Riva told The Diamondback. The EpiPen initiative would be instituted in partnership with the College Park, Md., school’s University Health Center.

Out of the university’s 9,000 students who are currently enrolled in a meal plan, 130 have told Dining Services about a food allergy. Approximately 30 of those allergies have the potential to be life-threatening, Wright-Riva said.

Before putting the program in place, Dining Services employees would be trained on how to administer EpiPen injections and ways to recognize whether someone is experiencing anaphylactic shock.

Read the full story via The Diamondback.