The neffyinSchools initiative expands to California, offering K-12 campuses access to nasal spray medication for the emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- California Program Expansion: California has joined 23 other states in the neffyinSchools program, which provides public and private K-12 schools with free access to needle-free epinephrine nasal spray.
- Emergency Treatment Access: The initiative supplies eligible schools with four single-use doses of neffy to treat students and staff experiencing anaphylaxis, including the estimated one-quarter of cases involving individuals without a prior diagnosis.
- Program Growth: Since its inception in early 2025, the program has expanded to include more than 8,000 schools across the US and has donated nearly 45,000 doses of the medication.
California K-12 schools are now eligible for the neffyinSchools program, providing needle-free nasal spray epinephrine at no cost for emergency use, according to ARS Pharmaceuticals.
California joins 23 other states in the program, which aims to improve access to treatment for Type 1 allergic reactions. These reactions can be caused by food, insects, medication, or exercise. ARS Pharmaceuticals estimates that one-quarter of life-threatening food allergy reactions in schools occur in students and staff who do not have a prior diagnosis. Furthermore, food allergies affect approximately 1 in 13 school-aged US children.
The medication, neffy, is an epinephrine nasal spray approved by the FDA for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions in adults and children weighing at least 33 lb. The company noted that the nasal spray represents the first significant innovation in epinephrine delivery in more than 35 years.
“With neffy’s needle-free design, long shelf life and stability at temperature excursions of up to 122 F, schools have an option that is compact, easy to use, easily disposable, and is ready when needed,” said Richard Lowenthal, co-founder, president, and CEO of ARS Pharma, in a news release.
The neffyinSchools program is open to both public and private K-12 schools. Eligible campuses can receive two cartons, totaling four single-use doses, of 1 mg and 2 mg strengths. Since launching in January 2025, the program has grown to include more than 8,000 schools and has donated nearly 45,000 doses.
Terri Hinkley, CEO of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), said the expansion helps protect children and empowers school nurses when time is critical. “Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can happen quickly. I believe this type of forward-thinking is exactly what schools need to ensure our communities are safer,” said Hinkley, in a news release.
Participating schools can also receive replacement products when the medication is used or reaches its expiration date. The program is intended for undesignated use, and the company stated that students with existing prescriptions from their healthcare provider must continue to provide their own medication according to school guidelines.
