A new bill was proposed in hopes of providing veterans the opportunity to access the overdose-reversal drug for free at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and without a prescription.
Currently, veterans are able to get naloxone for free with a prescription from medical providers through Veterans Affairs.
The “End Veterans Overdose Act” introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) would allow not only veterans, but also their caregivers to obtain naloxone without first having to get a prescription from a provider.
“Our obligation to veterans does not end when their service does,” said Crapo. “Expanding direct access to naloxone at VA pharmacies recognizes the unique risks veterans face and ensures life-saving medication is available when it matters most.”
Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, is a life-saving medication that reverses an opioid overdose in minutes by blocking the effects of opioids, such as fentanyl, heroin or oxycodone among others, on the brain and restoring breathing.
With substance abuse still a prevalent issue among veterans with 2.8 million, or 14 percent of all veterans having at least one substance abuse disorder, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Of that number, 96 percent of those veterans did not think they needed treatment.
“It is our duty to look out for those who bravely served our nation, and while we've made great strides towards ending the substance use epidemic, far too many veterans are still losing their lives due to overdoses. That is unacceptable, and it's imperative that we explore every avenue to make life-saving treatments more accessible at the VA,” said Shaheen. “I’m proud that this bipartisan bill would fill a critical gap in the care that VA facilities can provide to veterans by making it easier for them and their caregivers to get treatments that rapidly reverse overdoses, like naloxone, at no cost.”