The American Medical Association is calling on the manufacturer of EpiPens to rein in the "exorbitant costs" of the devices while at least two pharmacy groups have also issued statements about the controversy.

EpiPens are an auto-injection system designed to deliver precise doses of epinephrine into the bloodstreams of people having severe asthma and allergic reactions. Drug manufacturer Mylan purchased the rights to produce EpiPens in 2007, and since then their price has risen from $57 per device to $600 for a package of two today.

The price increase has alarmed many people who stock EpiPens either for themselves or their children. It also alarmed AMA President Andrew Gurman, who noted in a statement the 400 percent price hike came even though there have been no changes to the product.

"With many parents required to buy two or more sets of EpiPens just to keep their children safe, the high cost of these devices may either keep them out of reach of people in need or force some families to choose between EpiPens and other essentials," Gurman said.

Mylan's actions have earned it unfavorable comparisons to "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, whose former company Turing Pharmaceuticals came under fire last year for raising the price of a potentially life-saving drug from $13.50 to $750 a tablet. As a result, the company was booted from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization's membership.

Mylan CEO Heather Bresch is currently chair of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association's board of directors. GPhA has not issued any statements about the current controversy.

The same cannot be said of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which took issue with recent statements by Bresch implying that a "broken" health care system—and particularly pharmacy benefit managers—were to blame for high drug costs.

"It's not credible to assert that Mylan's price hikes are the fault of those paying the bills: namely the employers, unions and government programs that work hard to provide affordable prescription drug coverage," PCMA CEO Mark Merritt said in a statement.

The American Pharmacists Association took a more diplomatic route, instead providing tips for pharmacists seeking to help patients afford the pricey products.

"Anything that we as health care practitioners can do to mitigate that life-threatening issue by promoting awareness of these alternative products or informing patients and providers about copay and patient assistance programs will help patients acquire this drug that can be the difference between life and death," said Maria Miller Thurston, an Atlanta-based pharmacist speaking on behalf of the association.

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