Californians can now buy opioid reversal drugs from the state online
[April 22, 2025]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Californians can now buy opioid
reversal drugs directly from the state under a program aimed at making
the life-saving medication less expensive and more accessible, officials
said Monday.
The state began selling its own generic version of Narcan last year for
$24 per twin-pack to businesses and local governments, and will now also
sell to individual consumers online. A box containing two doses of
naloxone nasal spray costs between $45 and $70 from regular pharmacies
and online marketplaces.
Opioid overdose deaths, which are caused by heroin, fentanyl and
oxycodone, have increased dramatically in California and across the
country in recent years, reaching 7,847 in the state in 2023. But
California officials say they have started to see a decline in these
deaths.
The move is part of a broader push by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to
try to force drug companies to lower their prices by offering cheaper,
competing versions of medication under the state's CalRx label.
“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 a
statement.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom attends the 2025 Economic Forecast and
Industry Outlook convening on Feb. 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP
Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
 Naloxone, which can reverse
overdoses of opioids, has been available in the U.S. without a
prescription since March of 2023, when the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration approved Narcan, a nasal spray brand produced by the
Maryland-based pharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions.
California is also working on a plan to make insulin more affordable
for residents. The state has an agreement with the nonprofit Civica
to produce CalRx-branded insulin used to treat diabetes.
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