Clinton Foundation Works to Bring Down Cost of Naloxone

The Clinton Foundation wants to decrease the cost of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a handheld device that delivers a single dose of naloxone.

“Let’s assume that the FDA approval means there really will be easier, understandable, much more user-friendly ways of getting the medications into the bodies of people who need it before they die,” Former President Bill Clinton said Tuesday at a town hall meeting about reducing prescription drug abuse. He spoke at Johns Hopkins University, CBS Baltimore reports.

Last week, Hillary Clinton told the National Council for Behavioral Health Conference the Clinton Foundation “is making naloxone a priority,” according to The Hill. Some states have passed laws allowing first responders to carry the antidote.

Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, is becoming more widely available nationwide. It has been used for many years by paramedics and doctors in emergency rooms. It is administered by nasal spray. The medication blocks the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy says it is encouraging police departments to carry Narcan.

In March, Attorney General Eric Holder said the government is encouraging emergency personnel to carry naloxone.

Last year, the Clinton Foundation announced it would work with the New York Police Department and other partners to address prescription drug abuse, with a focus on college students.