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Mr Tassone said Australia’s most popular antidepressant, sertraline, had also been hit with supply issues, as had some blood pressure medications.

Katherine Sanchez, whose two-year-old son Caspian is allergic to eggs, said the situation was creating additional expenses for families who were having to purchase EpiPens much more frequently.

People are entitled to two in-date EpiPens at any one time through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and usually spend about $40 for a pair. Additional devices, which are often required for childcare, cost around $100.

“Families will go from buying two or three EpiPens every 18 months to six or more,” the Carlton North mother said.

“We can absorb that extra cost, but it is going to be a huge impost for some families.”

There’s also the hassle of additional doctor appointments for prescriptions, she said.

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After recently purchasing a $105 EpiPen with a four-month shelf life, Ms Sanchez phoned Viatris, the overseas manufacturer of the device, for answers.

“They told me there had been a hold-up with the supply line and by the time it gets here it has lost most of its shelf life,” she said. “This is a life-saving, critical device. If my son is accidentally exposed to egg we have a way to save his life.”

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Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia chief executive Maria Said said discounts should be considered for families who have purchased EpiPens Jrs with short expiry dates.

“It is expensive and parents have to remember to replace the devices within a short space of time,” she said.

She said families should shop around to find EpiPen Jrs with longer expiry dates, and she hoped that by the end of the month, stock with a longer shelf life would be available.

She believes the issue stems from pharmacies placing large orders during the early panic-buying days of the pandemic and that they are now struggling to move the stock.

Melissa Mooney, who runs the Facebook group Food Allergy Goals, said the situation highlighted issues with EpiPen’s monopoly on adrenaline autoinjectors in Australia.

“All other countries have options, why can’t we?” she said.

“The government should have an alternative product on the register that they are confident they can get a supply of. We are always on the brink of shortage, but not quite.”

The fluctuating availability of EpiPens has been an ongoing issue for Australians with allergies.