SACRAMENTO — California residents are now eligible to buy naloxone — the generic drug for Narcan, a drug used to treat opioid overdoses — for $24 through the state’s prescription website CalRx brand, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a release Monday.
“Life-saving medications shouldn’t come with a life-altering price tag. CalRx is about making essential drugs like naloxone affordable and accessible for all — not the privileged few,” Newsom said in the release.
Naloxone is an easy-to-use nasal spray medication that reverses drug overdoses and can save lives. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that anyone who is at risk of overdose, or knows someone who may be at risk, should carry naloxone in case of an emergency.
The move expands a program launched last year that made naloxone available for eligible organizations such as nonprofits, universities and first responders in large quantities for free. The state pays $24 per two-dose unit, down from $41 charged by previous suppliers, and has saved $17 million since May 2024 according to its savings tracker.
Preliminary data through June 2024 showed a decrease in synthetic opioid overdose deaths in California for the first time since 2018, Newsom’s office said. Although the decrease could not be contributed to one factor, it said, a comprehensive effort to tackle the crisis involving fentanyl and other opioids seems to be making a difference.
The statewide decrease mirrors a plateau in overdose deaths among unhoused people in Los Angeles County as public health officials ramped up the distribution of naloxone last year.
Part of Newsom’s plan to address the opioid crisis included putting naloxone in middle and high schools across the state, along with making it widely accessible for a low price through CalRx. A bill Newsom signed last year may require workplaces to stock naloxone in first aid kits by 2028.
Newsom hopes to use CalRx to produce generic versions of insulin, naloxone and other drugs for an at-cost price, he announced in 2023 alongside a $50-million contract with a nonprofit manufacturer. Despite years-long setbacks on multiple healthcare initiatives and expected Medicaid cuts from the Trump administration, the governor still promises to make generic insulin available for $30.
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