California can buy more overdose-reversing medication at a lower price under a deal Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Monday with a pharmaceutical company, potentially giving law enforcement, schools and others more resources to address the state’s fentanyl crisis.
Under a government-run pharmaceutical program called CalRx, California will purchase naloxone from New Jersey-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals at a discounted price of $24 for a two-pack of nasal sprays.
This means California can buy about 1.5 times more naloxone for the same price. That’s 3.2 million twin-packs instead of the 2 million twin-packs purchased at the previous price of $41, Newsom’s office announced.
The state purchases the medication and distributes it to schools, law enforcement agencies, county health departments, clinics and community organizations. Residents can obtain naloxone at no cost through one of these public groups. Otherwise, the market price for individuals at a pharmacy is about $50.
Just last week, Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced that it had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell its nasal spray naloxone over the counter. Amneal’s nasal spray is a generic version of Narcan.
California’s agreement is good for two years and can be extended, according to state health officials. The state expects to order its first units of naloxone from Amneal next month.
Since 2018, the Naloxone Distribution Project has given out 4.1 million kits of the medication. The state estimates that this has resulted in at least 260,000 overdose reversals.
- Elizabeth Landsberg, director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information: “By getting this lower price, we are making the financial savings and able to use our dollars to buy more…
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