Resources
Where is Narcan available for free?
Local Health Pharmacies/Health Departments -
You also could visit any major pharmacy and ask a pharmacist if Naloxone is available for free. Some pharmacy chains — such as Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid — are involved in state programs that give out free Naloxone.
Your pharmacy also may have information about discounts or coupons. For instance, GoodRx currently has coupons at pharmacies that will bring the price of Naloxone down to about $47. (Naloxone also comes as an injectable version and is cheaper this way). With a GoodRx coupon, two doses of injectable naloxone may be less than $30 at some pharmacies.
Does health insurance cover Naloxone?
Generally, yes. Health insurance often covers Naloxone, but some health plans may have copays. Others may have a $0 copay. Check your plan for details.
In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Medicaid covers some form of naloxone. At last count, 23 state Medicaid programs covered all 3 naloxone formulations, including Narcan, according to a 2018 study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Some Medicaid programs cover Narcan for family members or friends of a Medicaid enrollee who could benefit from it.
Medicare will usually pay for Narcan under Part D prescription drug plans or a Medicare Advantage plan, but it depends on the plan you have.
General Questions -
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist. This means that it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, and morphine.
What is the difference in Narcan and Kloxxado?
The drug is Naloxone. The brand is Narcan or Kloxxado. Narcan is a 4mg dose and Kloxxado is the 8mg dose. Both are given via the same nasal inhaler. With the rise of Fentanyl laced products, it is taking sometimes multiple of the 4mg dose, so TEMPO uses the Kloxxado 8mg version to hope that one does is all it takes. Both are designed for saving lives, so brand preference should be set aside in an emergency overdose situation.
Can I use expired Naloxone?
Yes. Studies suggest that you can use expired Naloxone safely, and that it is often just as effective. That said, if you have expired Naloxone, you should seek out a new supply, to be safe. But if someone needs Naloxone and expired naloxone is all you have, you should use it.
Regional Assistance Resources
A few states have programs that send free Naloxone to any resident who requests it. Some county public health organizations and state departments of health have partnerships with pharmacies or clinics that offer free Naloxone to residents. Here are a few examples:
· Ohio has a program called HarmReductionOhio. If you are an Ohio resident, you can order naloxone online and receive it in the mail.
· The Delaware Division of Public Health will send Narcan to any resident for free if they can’t otherwise get it — provided they watch an online training video and pass a short test afterward.
· Iowa requires residents to have an online video consultation with a pharmacist before they can get free Naloxone. The program is through the Iowa Department of Public Health and University of Iowa Health Care.
· Nebraska has a website that can direct its residents on which pharmacies around the state offer free naloxone nasal spray.
· Minnesota has a website that helps its residents find clinics that offer free naloxone, as well as pharmacies that sell it.
The city or county you live in also may offer free Naloxone.
Examples include:
· The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment will mail Denver residents Naloxone if they request it using this online form.
· In Philadelphia, a program called ‘Narcan Near Me’ provides vending machine-like dispensers at city library branches. You press a few buttons on the kiosk and receive a free Narcan kit. A grant from the CDC funds the program, touted as the first of its kind, WHYY reported.
· The Chicago Department of Public Health is partnering with the Chicago Public Library to provide library-based free Nalaxone distribution. The city is launching the program with wall-mounted boxes of nalaxone kits in 14 library branches and aims to expand to 27 by the end of 2022. Chicago lost 1,303 people to opioid overdoses in 2020, the highest number on record.
If you are between the ages of 18 and 65 and live in an area where Naloxone isn’t available through a community-based distribution program like those above, you can get a prescription online through GoodRx Care.
Non Profit Resources:
TEMPO - Tempomission.org - our site is Training and Empowering Musicians To Prevent Overdose. You can find more on our TEMPO Partners here.
NEXT Distro’s mission, for instance, is to help at-risk people find ways to access free or low-cost Naloxone. A map on its website can help direct you.
NEXT Distro is only set up to assist those without health insurance and who have limited resources, Jamie Favaro, the group’s founder and executive director, tells GoodRx Health.