Newsom makes $24 generic Narcan available to all Californians

SACRAMENTO — California residents at the moment are eligible to purchase naloxone — the generic drug for Narcan, a drug used to deal with opioid overdoses — for $24 via the state’s prescription web site CalRx model, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workplace stated in a launch Monday.

“Life-saving medicines shouldn’t include a life-altering price ticket. CalRx is about making important medication like naloxone reasonably priced and accessible for all — not the privileged few,” Newsom stated within the launch.

Naloxone is an easy-to-use nasal spray treatment that reverses drug overdoses and may save lives. The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention says that anybody who’s susceptible to overdose, or is aware of somebody who could also be in danger, ought to carry naloxone in case of an emergency.

The transfer expands a program launched final yr that made naloxone out there for eligible organizations akin to nonprofits, universities and first responders in massive portions without spending a dime. The state pays $24 per two-dose unit, down from $41 charged by earlier suppliers, and has saved $17 million since Might 2024 in line with its financial savings tracker.

Preliminary knowledge via June 2024 confirmed a lower in artificial opioid overdose deaths in California for the primary time since 2018, Newsom’s workplace stated. Though the lower couldn’t be contributed to 1 issue, it stated, a complete effort to sort out the disaster involving fentanyl and different opioids appears to be making a distinction.

The statewide lower mirrors a plateau in overdose deaths amongst unhoused folks in Los Angeles County as public well being officers ramped up the distribution of naloxone final yr.

A part of Newsom’s plan to deal with the opioid disaster included placing naloxone in center and excessive colleges throughout the state, together with making it extensively accessible for a low worth via CalRx. A invoice Newsom signed final yr could require workplaces to inventory naloxone in first assist kits by 2028.

Newsom hopes to make use of CalRx to supply generic variations of insulin, naloxone and different medication for an at-cost worth, he introduced in 2023 alongside a $50-million contract with a nonprofit producer. Regardless of years-long setbacks on a number of healthcare initiatives and anticipated Medicaid cuts from the Trump administration, the governor nonetheless guarantees to make generic insulin out there for $30.