SACRAMENTO, Calif. >> Californians can now buy opioid reversal drugs directly from the state under a program aimed at making the life-saving medication less expensive and more accessible, officials said Monday.

The state began selling its own generic version of Narcan last year for $24 per twin-pack to businesses and local governments, and will now also sell to individual consumers online. A box containing two doses of naloxone nasal spray costs between $45 and $70 from regular pharmacies and online marketplaces.

Opioid overdose deaths have increased dramatically in California and across the country in recent years, reaching 7,847 in the state in 2023.

— The Associated Press