(The Center Square) – California took a step to create a cheaper and more accessible supply of Naloxone nasal products.
It will do so through its CalRx Initiative, unveiled by Governor Gavin Newsom this year. The state will spend $30 million to “support a partner, or partners, in developing, manufacturing, procuring, and/or distributing a naloxone nasal product under the CalRx label,” according to a release from the governor’s office.
“One more fatal overdose is one too many,” Newsom said. “California is tackling the opioid epidemic from all sides. Naloxone is, quite literally, a lifesaver – so we are making it more accessible and affordable for anyone who needs it.”
Naloxone is used to reverse opioid overdoses, and the governor’s office said it saves lives.
While the U.S. Food & Drug Administration recently approved a four-milligram naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray product for over-the-counter use, the Newsom administration thinks this will not help low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents. The administration thinks people need a more affordable version of this same medication.
“California is committed to leveraging its purchasing power by fostering partnerships that can address the affordability and availability of naloxone nasal products,” California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said. “By reducing barriers and increasing accessibility, this initiative will play a significant role in combating the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic in California. To put it simply, this will help save lives.”
Over the past five years, California has distributed more than 2.6 million naloxone kits, reversing more than 181,665 overdoses, according to the governor’s office. It has done so via the Naloxone Distribution Project created by the Department of Health Care Services in 2018.
Since California established its CalRx program to manufacture low-cost generic prescription drugs, it will use the resource to combat the opioid epidemic, in addition to the naloxone kits it has been distributing for the past five years.
