LA CROSSE, Wis. – With demand for narcan on the rise, Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance said the cost of the drug, used to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose, has gone from $7 per bottle in 2014 to $98 per bottle in 2015.
“We’re always watching our budget,” Clinical Operations Supervisor Darin Wendel told WEAU. “There’s always times when we need to look at where some things we can be cut. We’ll never stop carrying narcan.”
Used to reverse the effects of an opiate overdose, the drug has grown in popularity, with many states allowing for wider distribution and administration by first responders.
In 2014, Tri-State Ambulance administered 242 doses to 181 patients.