California's $24 Narcan initiative aims to save lives as overdose rates surge

California's governor is making the overdose drug Narcan more accessible.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the price is now $24 per two-dose carton in the Golden State. That's almost half the standard market price.

Newsom says it will allow for easier and more affordable access to the life-saving nasal spray medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.

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“Life-saving medications shouldn’t come with a life-altering price tag," Newsom said. "CalRx is about making essential drugs like naloxone affordable and accessible for all — not the privileged few. California is using our market power as the 5th largest economy in the world to disrupt a billion-dollar industry to save lives…and we’re just getting started.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2022, which was up from around 92,000 in 2020. The number of drug overdose deaths doubled from 2016 to 2021.

Naloxone, the generic name for Narcan, was the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over-the-counter without the need for a prescription in 2023. It can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.

Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the nationwide overdose crisis. The majority of the over 100,000 annual deaths are tied to opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl that can take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.