Californians can now buy opioid reversal drugs from the state online

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 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.

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.