When "The School for Scandal" was first performed in London in 1777, the main character, Lady Sneerwell, was a comic sensation.

These days, when we get schooled in scandal, there's much to sneer at and not much to laugh at.

Take the recent EpiPen price hike (300 percent over the past few years) to $600 for two pens.

That could deny some American children and adults who have an anaphylactic reaction to foods like peanuts and shellfish or bee stings a quick lifesaver. In the U.K., where the home company is based, one pen costs about $66.50.

So, what can you do?

Ask your doc about a prescription for the Food and Drug Administration-approved Adrenaclick epinephrine delivery system. With coupons and discounts (you need to ask), it's one-third the price.

But beware.

Learn how to use it before you leave the pharmacy. The old EpiPen Auto-Injector requires the removal of onecap for administration, while the Adrenaclick epinephrine auto-injector requires the removal of two.

If you're not used to the new device, that can be a problem in a high-stress situation.

If your child has this pen, but his or her school is only trained on the EpiPen, the personnel might fumble the injection process if they're using your device.

Make sure everyone is trained to use whichever pen your child has!

The FDA says other products shouldn't be substituted for EpiPen, unless your doc agrees to change the prescription, no matter what you're able to pull off online.