Opiod Harm Reduction

January, 2019

From: Allen James

Opioid overdose prevention programs exist throughout California, mostly located at syringe exchanges, to provide access to naloxone for persons who use drugs who are the primary users of naloxone in the community. If you know anyone who is using drugs who is in need of services, please connect them to the closest harm reduction program where they can get naloxone and other services. Here is a list of authorized California syringe exchange programs.

Some of the harm reduction programs who provide services to people who use drugs also have the capacity to provide trainings for businesses and organizations for free or for a training fee to support their primary operations. If you are located near one of these programs you may be able to receive training and naloxone from them.

Training on how to recognize an overdose and use naloxone is simple, and can be engaged by a private trainer (like us) or online at (getnaloxonenow.org). Training usually includes understanding the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose, calling 911 and administering naloxone.

Naloxone is also available by prescription by any licensed medical provider. Your provider could write you a prescription for naloxone and you would fill it at the pharmacy like any other prescription. Most insurance will cover naloxone, and it is on the Medical formulary also. If your insurance does not cover it, you will be responsible for cash payment of approximately $120-150 for a two-dose box of nasal Narcan spray.

Naloxone is also available by direct pharmacy furnishing from participating pharmacies. This means you can go directly to the pharmacy and request naloxone without having a prescription from a provider, and they are legally authorized to furnish it to you, provide you with brief education and bill your insurance. California has authorized what is called "3rd party prescriptions" which means even if the naloxone is not intended for use on you; you can still get it via prescription or pharmacy and bill your insurance.

If you have any questions about accessing naloxone in California, you can contact one of the leading experts in the field is Eliza Wheeler at the national Harm Reduction Coalition in Oakland.  You can email Eliza at wheeler@harmreduction.org.

If you are interested in obtaining a larger supply of naloxone for distribution to community members, or if you operate a large program that may experience multiple overdose events (shelters, drug treatment programs, libraries, etc.) and you would like to stock your program with a large number of kits for staff use, you may be interested in accessing an ongoing supply from one of the resources in California. Here is list of all the places and ways to get naloxone in California depending on what kind of program or organization you are. 

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