AG strikes agreement to improve access to life-saving naloxone

In an effort to make the life-saving drug naloxone more widely available to police and firefighters statewide, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that her office has reached an agreement with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals that will require the company to pay $325,000 to help offset the costs of the drug, which counters the effects of opioid overdoses.
 
The first-of-its kind payment from the manufacturer to a state will go into the Commonwealth’s Municipal Naloxone Bulk Purchase Trust Fund, approved in the fiscal 2016 state budget to increase access to the nasal spray version of naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, through a discounted program. The trust fund was established with initial state funding of $150,000.
 
The payment from Amphastar covers the cost of nearly 10,000 units of naloxone, according to the attorney general’s office.
 
“The demand for Narcan to help save the lives of overdose victims has risen sharply, and with that, so has the price, making it tough for police and fire departments to access this critical drug,” Healey said in a statement. “This money will help us get Narcan into the hands of every first responder, giving them a tool they need to help save lives.”
 
The agreement with California-based Amphastar resolves Healey’s concerns over the sharp price increase for naloxone in late 2014, when the wholesale price more than doubled from less than $15 per dose to more than $30. Although the purchase price from distributors has varied between municipalities, some first responders report having paid more than $65 for a single unit of the drug, according to the attorney general’s office.
 
Healey sent a letter to Amphastar earlier this year stating that the increase in pricing could adversely affect access to the drug for state agencies and municipalities in Massachusetts.
 
Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, chair of the Governor’s Opioid Working Group, said: “We heard through our listening sessions across the state – from parents, siblings and those who struggle with addiction themselves – about the life-saving ability of naloxone. Today’s announcement will help broaden access to this intervention, which was an important recommendation of the Working Group and will expand this life-saving measure.”
 
Senate President Stan Rosenberg said: “This settlement more than triples the amount allocated for the bulk purchasing of Narcan. … As a result, local cities and towns will save on the cost of this life-saving drug and local first responders will have another tool to save lives and fight the opiate epidemic.”
 
Former Gov. Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency in March 2014 in response to the growing opioid addiction epidemic. The Department of Public Health issued emergency regulatory amendments permitting first responders to carry and administer naloxone. Since then, numerous first responders have purchased naloxone kits for use in reversing the effects of a heroin or opioid overdose.
 
Naloxone cannot be used to get high and is not addictive, according to the attorney general’s office. The naloxone for intra-nasal use is given with a foam tip attached to a syringe that is placed into the nostril. It acts to wake the person up and keep them breathing.
 
In Massachusetts last year, the heroin and opioid epidemic claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people, according to the attorney general’s office.