11 Investigates the rising cost of nalaxone

ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Rising drug prices have prompted concern among some law enforcement agencies about what would happen if the price of naloxone, the drug that can reverse an opioid overdose, goes up.

Hundreds of people died from overdoses in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler, and Fayette counties in 2016, but police say that number would be far higher if first responders had not had access to naloxone.

"The recent heroin use, it's so much stronger than it ever was before," said Detective Brian Kohlhepp of the Ross Township Police Department.

Jessica McCaffery, a recovering addict, said she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the lifesaving drug.

"I had overdosed behind the wheel of my vehicle...I wrecked across four lanes of Route 30 traffic," said McCaffery.

First responders in Pennsylvania first got naloxone in November 2014. From then through 2016, the drug saved more than 2,300 lives. That's equivalent to the entire population of towns like Rankin, Braddock, and Wilmerding.

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Det. Kohlhepp said the cost of a dose of injectable Narcan has more than doubled, adding financial stress to departments that have to pay to keep it in stock.

"To lose access to that tool would be a difficult thing. If someone overdoses and not having Narcan where they know how well it works, not having that would be a heartbreaking experience," Kohlhepp said.

Police departments that buy the drug in bulk pay approximately $75 for two doses. That's a 200 percent increase from the $25 cost just three years ago.

"We can have an overdose and go through four vials of Narcan on one person, which is costly," Kohlhepp said.

Allegheny County District Judge Anthony Mariani came up with his own plan to pay for naloxone. He has ordered suspects convicted of selling heroin to pay for doses of naloxone to help stock the communities where they were caught dealing. Mariani hopes others follow his lead.

"Drug dealers ought to be made to pay back to the community. They should be contributing to the cost of the overdose remedy as part of their probation," Mariani said.

Now sober, McCaffrey is working to help others. She used naloxone to save the life of a stranger who overdosed in front of her in a parking lot.

Naloxone only has a shelf life of  only 1 1/2 years, so responders have to replace it. Gov. Tom Wolf has said that he plans to ask lawmakers for $10 million to pay for buying the drug for emergency responders.

Cox Media Group