The cost of buying the opioid antidote naloxone is out of reach for many uninsured Americans, a hurdle that may keep the treatment from saving more people who overdose on opioids, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

While laws making it easier to prescribe and obtain naloxone have increased use of the medication, the out-of-pocket cost of the drug for the uninsured has risen sharply even while falling for many who are insured.

The study found that the average out-of-pocket cost per naloxone prescription among those who have health insurance declined by 26 percent from 2014 to 2018, while out-of-pocket costs increased by more than 500 percent for people who are uninsured. Uninsured Americans are a vulnerable population that represent about 20 percent of adults with an opioid-use disorder and nearly one-third of opioid overdose deaths.

The findings are published in the latest edition of the journal JAMA Health Forum.

“The price of naloxone is almost certainly an impediment to more-widespread adoption among the uninsured,” said Evan Peet, the study's lead author and an economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “Policymakers who want to further expand access to naloxone—particularly among the uninsured and vulnerable—need to pay greater attention to the out-of-pocket costs.”

Read the full article about the price of naloxone by Evan D. Peet at RAND Corporation.