Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Naloxone is a highly effective antidote that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose.
By Forum Staff
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman recently announced an agreement with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to extend a price cut for naloxone, the highly effective antidote that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose, for all agencies in New York through January 2018.
The agreement stipulates that Amphastar will cover a $6 rebate per dose, which will also automatically increase, dollar-for-dollar, to match future growth in the wholesale price, Schneiderman said. As part of the agreement, the rebate is available to all public entities, including but not limited to the State Department of Health, New York City, the governments of individual New York counties, and the drug treatment centers and harm reduction programs they fund. Overall, Schneiderman noted, the deal reduces the price of naloxone by nearly 20 percent.
“We need every tool at our disposal to respond to the opioid addiction crisis, and that includes making sure that life-saving medication like naloxone is available to first responders who are on the front lines to treat victims of overdose,” the attorney general said. “The price cut negotiated by my office has made this antidote more affordable for hundreds of communities across the state, and we will continue to look for ways to empower communities in New York to respond to this crisis.”
The deal announcement comes as new data show that the price cut first negotiated by Schneiderman’s Office last year has made it possible for more than 200 agencies across the state to obtain a total of 278,000 discounted syringes of naloxone, saving $1.6 million in costs since February 2015. And in the past year, a number of states across the country, including Ohio, Delaware, and Rhode Island, have reached deals with Amphastar patterned off the price cut that the attorney general initially negotiated in 2015.
“Naloxone has saved thousands of lives and needs to be in the hands of as many New Yorkers as possible,” said Jeremy Saunders, co-executive director of Voices of Community Activists & Leaders, a statewide grassroots membership organization that helps low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war, and mass incarceration. “We appreciate Attorney General Schneiderman’s continuing efforts to negotiate reduced prices, especially as overdose deaths are on the rise. Ultimately, price should never be a barrier to saving a life – we look forward to working together to ensure that Naloxone is always affordable for those who need it most.”
Last month, Schneiderman announced a national settlement with the global health insurer Cigna to end its policy of requiring prior authorization for medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, removing a “significant barrier” for those suffering from opioid addiction to access treatment.
In September, Schneiderman and law enforcement authorities from across the country to announce the indictment of 25 people for their role in an alleged national heroin smuggling ring, and the seizure of more than 33 kilos of heroin – one of the largest takedowns in Empire State history. And in October, the AG and State Police announced the seizure of more than 20 kilos of heroin and cocaine and the indictment of 14 people as part of an alleged narcotics trafficking ring.
