Alas, yeah, you need a prescription, and it's only good for one year, so it's an annual hassle. You may also have to take the allergy test, which is MISERABLE. When I had it, they scratched me, all up and down my back and one arm, with teeny amounts of the bee and hornet venom, and every one of them swelled up into a red itchy lump. Still - it's better than death! If it was that bad, you should DEFINITELY be carrying one, because this kind of allergy is cumulative.