The price of EpiPen's in the Quad Cities has shot up 500 percent over the last 7 years, and families around the country are feeling the pinch.
In 2009, the injections sold for about $100 for a pack of two, and are now at least $600 for two pens this year.
"It's a lot for families to shoulder,"said Moline allergist Dr. Mark Blaser. "In emergencies, there's not really an alternative," he said.
The EpiPen is a quick and easy portable shot filled with medicine that can stop a potentially deadly allergic reaction. Last year, more than 3-and-a-half million prescriptions were written for the device.
In 2007, Mylan Pharmaceutical bought the rights to the pen. The price has spiked 200 dollars just in the last six months.
"They do have a monopoly in the marketplace," says Philadelphia pharmacist Chip Wukitsch.
A company that sold a similar product bowed out of the market after a recall.
"Since the recall we are seeing the price escalate to a very high price from where it was originally," said Wukitsch.
Maddie Breidenbach of Davenport, Iowa has a life threatening peanut allergy. Her family buys several pens every year, just in case. All have a shelf life of just one year.
"Without insurance? It would be a crisis. $600 for two of them a year, and they expire, so every year, we have to buy new EpiPens," said Maddie's dad, Mark.
"We're never far from one. My wife carries one in her purse, she has them at school, grandma has one,", he said.
"I respect their right to make a profit, but I think a 400 percent increase over the time we've been using it is excessive. I can't imagine their costs have gone up that much," said Breidenbach, a food service manager.
Mylan Pharmaceutical blames some of the price spike on the changing landscape of the insurance industry.
"The change to the industry is not an easy challenge to address, but we recognize the need and are committed to working with customers and payers to find solutions to meet the needs of the patients and families we serve," the company said in a statement.
Families may be allergic to the price, but right now they don't have an alternative.