Anti-Overdose Drug Rebate Will Continue In Ohio

CLEVELAND, OH - A rebate agreement for the anti-overdose drug naloxone will be continued in Ohio. Under the agreement, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, which makes the drug, will allow non-federal public entities in Ohio to get a $6 rebate for each Amphastar naloxone syringe purchased until March 2, 2018.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says the rebate agreement will likely end up having saved north of $400,000 for Ohio agencies last year. At this point, 101 agencies statewide have made use of the rebate agreement and saved $391,672 between March 2, 2015 and Sept. 30 2016. There's another $77,424 pending for fourth quarter 2016.

Naloxone works like this. If administered to someone overdosing on heroin or a prescription opioid, naloxone can limit or stop the overdose by reversing the impact on the user's brain. Some of the regional agencies that took advantage of the rebate include: the Cuyahoga County MetroHealth Project DAWN, Cleveland EMS, and Cleveland Heights Police.

"There is no doubt that the number of overdose deaths in Ohio would be significantly higher if not for the first responders who carry this life-saving drug," said DeWine in an emailed statement. "This rebate has already saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I'm pleased that this rebate will continue for another year."

The rebate agreement came into effect because Aphastar dramatically increased the prices of naloxone, making it prohibitively expensive for some agencies. DeWine worked out the initial rebate agreement with the company and if prices of the anti-overdose drug go up again, the rate of rebate will increase in kind.

A list of all companies that received a rebate from Aphastar can be found here.

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