Opioid advocates urge DC to switch to generic naloxone for roughly 20% cost savings

Chad Jackson, chairman of the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission and a local provider with lived‑experience in recovery, urged the Committee on Health to consider switching the District’s naloxone procurement to a generic formulation that he said would cost approximately $27 per unit instead of the $33 per unit the city currently pays for a branded product.

Jackson said the district has a contract that purchases Narcan (a branded naloxone spray) at about $33 per pack (each pack contains two nasal devices), and that a generic was becoming available with an FDA‑approved 36‑month shelf life at roughly a 20% savings (he cited $27 per unit). Jackson noted the existing contract structure is a one‑year contract with five optional one‑year extensions and the city was two years into the contract. He recommended evaluating the generic as a ready, lower‑cost alternative and using anticipated savings for other overdose‑prevention work.

Jackson told the committee the device’s delivery mechanism — the spray applicator — was the subject of patent history and that a generic product is now available that matches the device and formulation used in the city contract. “There’s a generic available that starting 2 days from now, starting in June…is approved by the FDA for 36 months of shelf life,” Jackson said. He said the city could “move to something that saves us money, provides the same efficiency, and gives us an opportunity to move that money into some other places.”

Ending: Committee members thanked Jackson and said they would follow up with procurement and DBH to assess contract terms, inventory needs, and potential savings should the district purchase a generic naloxone product.