Jext® is Now Available in Australia — What Parents, Educators and Carers Need to Know

If you work in childcare, schools, or disability support — or you’re a parent of a child with a known allergy — there’s something important to be across right now. Australia’s anaphylaxis treatment landscape has changed significantly in 2026, and the most practical change for educators and carers is this: there is now a second adrenaline auto-injector available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

It’s called Jext®, and while it works on the same principle as EpiPen®, it looks and operates differently. That matters when seconds count.

Why 2026 is a turning point for anaphylaxis management in Australia

For more than two decades, Australians managing severe allergic reactions had two main options: EpiPen® or Anapen®. Then the landscape shifted. Anapen® has been intermittently unavailable in Australia due to supply issues — and EpiPen® shortages have also occurred in the past. That supply fragility is now being addressed.

From 1 June 2026, Jext® became PBS-listed and available nationally. From 1 July 2026, a needle-free adrenaline nasal spray called neffy® also joined the PBS. And in July 2026, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) updated its Acute Management of Anaphylaxis guidelines for the first time in years — the most significant update in a generation — to incorporate all approved devices.

For anyone responsible for children or vulnerable adults, this means one thing: the devices in your care setting may now be different from the ones you trained on. Knowing which device a child carries, and how to use it correctly, is no longer optional.

What is Jext® and how does it work?

Jext® is an adrenaline (epinephrine) auto-injector used to treat anaphylaxis — a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It’s manufactured by ALK and distributed in Australia by Biocelect. Like EpiPen®, it delivers adrenaline into the outer mid-thigh. Like EpiPen®, it can be given through clothing. Like EpiPen®, it contains a single dose.

Jext® comes in two strengths, mirroring EpiPen®:

Jext® Jr (150 mcg) — for children weighing between 7.5 kg and 20 kg
Jext® (300 mcg) — for children over 20 kg and adults

The steps to use Jext® are:

Form a fist and pull off the yellow cap. Push the black tip firmly into the outer mid-thigh until it clicks. Hold in place for 3 seconds. The needle retracts automatically after use. Call Triple Zero (000) immediately — do not wait to see if symptoms improve.

The memory aid for Jext® is: yellow to the sky, black to the thigh.

One practical note on storage: Jext® should be stored below 25°C, out of direct light, and must not be refrigerated or frozen. Shelf life is 22 months for both strengths. Check expiry dates regularly — a device that has expired is not a device you can rely on in an emergency.

How does Jext® differ from EpiPen®?

The active ingredient is the same. The injection site is the same. The dose strengths are the same. What differs is the hardware — the colour coding, the steps, and one genuinely useful feature: Jext® has an automatic needle retraction mechanism. Once the injection is delivered, the needle retracts into the device, which reduces the risk of accidental needlestick after use.

EpiPen® does not have automatic needle retraction. After use, the device is too long to fit back in its case, though a needle shield protects the exposed end.

	EpiPen®	Jext®
Step 1	Pull off blue safety release	Pull off yellow cap
Step 2	Orange tip to outer mid-thigh	Black tip to outer mid-thigh
Hold	3 seconds	3 seconds
Memory aid	Blue to the sky, orange to the thigh	Yellow to the sky, black to the thigh
Needle retraction	No (needle shield protects after use)	Yes (auto-retracts)
PBS cost	$25 for 2 devices ($7.70 concession)	$25 for 2 devices ($7.70 concession)
OTC cost	$80–$120 per device	$80–$120 per device

This is not a minor detail. In a real anaphylaxis emergency, muscle memory takes over. If an educator has only ever practised with EpiPen®, picking up a Jext® for the first time under pressure is a genuine risk. Training on both devices matters.

A brief note on neffy® — Australia’s first needle-free adrenaline option

Jext® is not the only new device. From 1 July 2026, neffy® — a single-dose adrenaline nasal spray — is also PBS-listed in Australia. neffy® comes in two strengths: 1 mg for children aged 4 years and over weighing 15–30 kg, and 2 mg for those weighing 30 kg and over.

For childcare settings, the age and weight limits on neffy® are critical: it is not approved for children under four years of age or under 15 kg. Early childhood centres caring for infants and toddlers will continue to rely on adrenaline injectors — EpiPen® or Jext® — for those children. Understanding which device each child in your care can actually use is part of getting anaphylaxis management right.

What the 2026 ASCIA update means for educators and carers

In July 2026, ASCIA updated its Guidelines for Acute Management of Anaphylaxis — the first major revision in years. The update incorporated all currently approved devices (EpiPen®, Jext®, neffy®, and Anapen® when available), introduced clearer flowcharts for managing both initial and non-responding anaphylaxis, and refreshed its training resources including an updated Anaphylaxis Training Refresher video.

ASCIA has also published device-specific Action Plans for Anaphylaxis, including a dedicated plan for Jext®. These are available to download directly from allergy.org.au.

For childcare centres and schools, this matters in a practical way: if a child enrolled at your service now carries Jext® — whether because their family switched from EpiPen® or because they were prescribed Jext® directly — their ASCIA Action Plan must specify Jext®, not EpiPen®. A plan that names the wrong device is a problem in an emergency. Check your action plans now.

What childcare and education services need to do

Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011, services must maintain current anaphylaxis management policies and ensure staff have up-to-date training. ACECQA’s guidance is clear: training must reflect the devices children in your care actually carry.

The practical steps for services right now are:

Audit your action plans. Check every enrolled child’s ASCIA Action Plan. If the plan names EpiPen® but the family has switched to Jext®, a new plan is needed. Contact the family and ask them to get an updated plan from their treating specialist or GP.

Check your emergency devices. If your service holds a spare adrenaline auto-injector for emergency use, confirm it is within its expiry date and that all relevant staff know where it is stored and how to use it.

Confirm staff training covers current devices. Anaphylaxis training completed before Jext® was available in Australia will not include hands-on practice with this device. If your team hasn’t been trained on Jext®, that gap needs to be addressed — particularly if children at your service carry it.

Update excursion and off-site protocols. Staff accompanying children on excursions, incursions, or after-hours activities must carry the relevant child’s device and know how to use it. A trained person needs to be physically present, not available by phone.

Recognising anaphylaxis — the response hasn’t changed

Amid all the new devices, the core first-aid response to a severe allergic reaction remains the same. If you suspect anaphylaxis — difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, a wheeze, a hoarse voice, hives, sudden pallor, or collapse — act immediately.

Lay the child flat. Do not let them stand or walk. (If breathing is very difficult, sit them upright, but keep them still.) Use whichever adrenaline device they carry, following the steps on their ASCIA Action Plan. Call Triple Zero (000). If there is no improvement after 5 minutes and a second device is available, administer it. Stay with the child until the ambulance arrives. If the child becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, start CPR.

The device changes. The fundamentals don’t.

Train for the devices your children carry

At AB First Aid, our anaphylaxis and allergy awareness training covers how to recognise a severe allergic reaction, how to respond under pressure, and how to use adrenaline auto-injectors correctly — including both EpiPen® and Jext®. Our training reflects the 2026 ASCIA guidelines and is suitable for childcare educators, school staff, NDIS support workers, and parents.

We run courses from our training centre in Tullamarine and can come directly to your childcare centre or school for group sessions. If your team’s anaphylaxis training is overdue, or you have recently enrolled children who carry Jext®, now is the right time to book in.

To view our current public course schedule or enquire about on-site training, visit abfirstaid.com.au or call us directly. Being ready to act is what protects the children in your care.

References

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia. (2026). Adrenaline device comparison. Retrieved from https://allergyfacts.org.au/adrenaline-device-comparison/

Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). (2026). Two new adrenaline (epinephrine) devices are TGA registered. Retrieved from https://www.allergy.org.au

Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). (2026). ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis — Jext®. Retrieved from https://www.allergy.org.au

Biocelect. (2026). Jext adrenaline auto-injector now PBS listed and available in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.biocelect.com

Jext Australia. (2026). Jext® — A new option for treating anaphylaxis. Retrieved from https://jext.com.au

Pharmacy Daily. (2026). Jext adrenaline pen on PBS. Retrieved from https://pharmacydaily.com.au

Australian Government Department of Health. (2026). Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme — Jext® listing. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.gov.au

Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011, Regulation 136 — First aid qualifications. Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). Retrieved from https://www.acecqa.gov.au