IL HR0981

Illinois recorded 3,013 opioid overdose fatalities in 2021, a 2.3% increase from 2020 and 35.8% spike from 2019, with 89% (2,672) involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl

Studies show the standard 4 mg naloxone nasal spray often requires multiple doses to reverse overdoses, with 78% of surveyed overdose victims needing 2 or more doses and EMS multi-dosing increasing 54% over five years

The FDA approved an 8 mg naloxone nasal spray in April 2021, which costs $3.75 per mg compared to $5.93 per mg for the 4 mg version—36.7% less expensive

34 states have added the 8 mg naloxone spray to their standing orders, and 13 state governments have purchased it; 90% of U.S. Medicaid recipients (including Illinois) can access the higher-dose version

Urges the Illinois Department of Human Services to review expanding its naloxone toolkit to include all FDA-approved versions of naloxone to combat the opioid epidemic