|
(Health-NewsWire.Net, July 28, 2015 ) Baltimore, MD --
According to The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore officials and others are alarmed at a nearly fourfold increase for the cost of drug which is used to revive heroin overdose victims. The sudden spike in cost has prompted calls for action at the federal and state levels.
City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana S. Wen shared that the leading manufacturer of naloxone, an opioid antagonist, has raised the 10-dose cost of the drug from $97 to $370 since the spring. The most recent spike occurred last week.
Wen stated that the increase by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals has contributed to an almost doubled overall cost in delivering more than 1,000 doses annually of naloxone, which aids in preventing overdose deaths, in a letter she addressed to the congressional committee.
"This means we can only save half the lives of patients we were able to before," Wen told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Meanwhile, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals defended its pricing, however they stated that they would consider negotiating an agreement with state officials. Jason Shandell, president of Amphastar defended his company's price increases in his statement ""Like other companies in the industry, manufacturing costs for our entire portfolio of products, including naloxone, have been steadily increasing due to the continued rise in costs for raw materials, energy, and labor over the recent several years," said Shandell by email.
Naloxone has become an increasingly important at the national, state, and local levels in responding to the wave of overdose deaths caused by heroin and other related drugs that have swept the nation over the years. According to Wen, as an emergency room doctor she has administered naloxone to dozens of patients and as a result those patients lives have been saved once the anti-opiate drug's effects onset.
Amphastar Pharmaceuticals has received all of Maryland's business for naloxone, according to the governor's office. Matthew A. Clark, communications director for Baltimore's Governor suggests that Amphastar gets all of Maryland's business because their product is equipped with a "needle-less" syringe which makes it easier for administration.
A medical associate from Drug Rehab Baltimore comments "I don't think it's fair for pharmaceutical companies to try so hard to gain off a drug that helps save lives. The more they hike the price up, the less affordable the drug becomes which results in less lives being saved. I am very hopeful that an agreement can be reached to make naloxone affordable again. I think we can all agree it's fairly insane that prices rose from less than $100 to almost $400, this is a prime example of the supply and demand tactic. However, I think these pharmaceuticals need to take into how many lives can be saved versus how much money they can make. We've had many patients come to our heroin rehab in Baltimore that once overdosed on heroin and were revived with the help of naloxone. Something needs to be done to bring these prices back down or our city will be in an even bigger crisis without naloxone."
Drug Rehab Baltimore is a comprehensive drug treatment facility in Baltimore, Maryland which offers a multitude of addiction and recovery services. the center is staffed by a team of medical professionals and addiction specialists dedicated to ensuring that every patient successfully receives effective treatment. Drug Rehab Baltimore is committed to providing the best treatment services there are to offer statewide.
For additional information on the addiction and recovery services offered at Drug Rehab Baltimore visit their website at http://www.drugrehabbaltimore.net/ or call directly at (410) 709-3816..
About Drug Rehab Baltimore :
Drug Rehab Baltimore is a leading addiction treatment center committed to saving as many lives from addiction as possible, one patient at a time.
Drug Rehab Baltimore
Drug Rehab Baltimore Drug Rehab Baltimore
(410) 709-3816
info@drugrehabbaltimore.net
Source: EmailWire.Com 
|
