Californians now have affordable access to naloxone, a medication that can reverse overdoses, through a state program aimed at making prescription drugs more affordable, according to Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Through CalRX, California residents are able to purchase twin packs of over-the-counter naloxone spray for $24, which is almost half of the market price, the governor\u2019s office said in a news release Tuesday. The program makes California the first state in the country to provide an affordable direct-to-consumer drug to its residents online.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife-saving medications shouldn\u2019t come with a life-altering price tag. CalRx is about making essential drugs like naloxone affordable and accessible for all \u2014 not the privileged few,\u201d Newsom said in a statement. \u201cCalifornia is using our market power as the 5th largest economy in the world to disrupt a billion-dollar industry to save lives \u2026 and we\u2019re just getting started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naloxone, which is sometimes sold under the brand name Narcan, blocks the effects of opioids and gives \u201ccrucial time\u201d to allow people to receive medical attention after a possible overdose, the office said. Through CalRX, which was established by Newsom in 2019, California develops and distributes generic drugs to sell at low costs, often targeting drugs such as insulin that have high prices despite the availability of generic versions, according to the initative\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
To purchase naloxone through CalRX, California residents can\u00a0go to www.calrxnaloxone.com to place an order<\/a>. The naloxone must be ordered to an address within California and cannot be resold, according to the purchase page.<\/p>\n