Naloxone saves lives ― but only if you can afford it. California should make Narcan free | Opinion

The opioid epidemic has been a slow-moving disaster that has claimed far too many lives in our communities, but the recent emergence of fentanyl has created a perfect storm leading to pandemic-level death rates.

The wreckage wrought on our communities is marked primarily by its toll on human life: More than 6,000 Californians died by overdose from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in 2021. That’s deadlier than the number of gun fatalities (3,576) or traffic accident deaths (4,285) that same year.

But overdose deaths also create an incredible strain on our healthcare system — and on the state budget that foots the bill for 15 million Medi-Cal patients.

As leaders in the state capitol look to stave off a $32 billion budget deficit for the upcoming year and protect Californians from the explosive fentanyl crisis, I’m imploring them to keep some basic, life-saving math in mind.

The Center for Disease Control reports that every deadly fentanyl and opioid overdose costs the healthcare system $5,462. But if the California guaranteed that every parent, family member or guardian could walk into their local drugstore to pick up an over-the-counter antidote called Narcan at no out-of-pocket cost to prevent an overdose death, the cost to the system would be reduced to a third of the overdose cost.

It’s a choice we can make: For $5,500, the system could cover the cost for one overdose death, or it could save three lives by making the Narcan nasal spray affordable and available.

For our own humanity, it’s the right decision. For the bottom line of our state budget, it’s a compelling solution to reduce the taxpayer costs of overdose deaths while California grapples with the hard decisions needed to protect funding for our schools and vital public services.

The Department of Public Health reports that 6.3% of Narcan and other naloxone hydrochloride kits that have been distributed reversed a potentially lethal opioid overdose. They estimate an additional 77,580 doses will be utilized if Narcan were to be distributed without out-of-pocket costs to the public. The state’s experience data says 4,888 lives would be saved every year at a total cost of $9.2 million. That’s $17.4 million less than the $26.7 million spent by the healthcare system, much of that from government health programs, on overdose deaths.

It’s an unfortunate reality that our state and the entire healthcare system has to weigh the matter of costs into the decisions about not just the wellness of patients but the prevention of their death.

Our leaders in Sacramento can take the long view about how those costs pile up, but we have the tools to stem this deadly tide. Since 2018, California’s Department of Health Care Services has doled out Narcan and other naloxone hydrochloride kits resulting in the reversal of more than 137,000 overdoses.

The medicine works. Its cost, however, can be prohibitive at $150 per dose of Narcan.

Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Narcan for over-the-counter use, it’s time for California to act and provide widespread access to this life-saving medication by making it free.

That’s why I’m authoring Assembly Bill 1060, which would require Medi-Cal and private insurers to cover Narcan – ensuring that every parent, family member or caregiver can potentially save someone’s life.

The opioid epidemic is a complex issue that will require confronting the root causes of addiction, equipping law enforcement agencies to take down the high-level drug dealers who are flooding our streets with this poison and providing the afflicted with needed evidence-based treatments and support services.

In the meantime, we can lower fentanyl’s body count and the costs to our healthcare system with AB 1060.

This story was originally published June 19, 2023 at 6:00 AM.