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State of Indiana looks to buy more than 8,000 narcan, naloxone doses

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The State of Indiana is trying to buy more of the drug that can reverse overdoses. The news comes a couple of weeks after the roll-out of the state’s new strategy to fight the drug crisis.

According to the request for bids posted by the Indiana Department of Administration, the state wants to buy 2,700 syringes of naloxone and 5,400 nasal doses of narcan. Those would then be made available to agencies across Indiana.

This was a big part of the drug epidemic strategy rolled out on May 18 by the state.

Often, first responders have to give up to four doses for victims to respond to the drug.

Right now, Indiana State Police say a dose of narcan costs more than $80. The state wants to offer it to first responders for half that this summer.

Jim McClelland will now serve as a ‘drug czar’ for the state. Here’s what he said about the narcan plan.

“The alternative would be just say we’re not going to do anything to try and save a life, and just let them die. That’s not acceptable,” McClelland said.

State statistics show Indiana has seen a 300 percent increase in the number of overdose deaths from heroin between 2010 and 2015. In total, drugs killed more than 1,300 people in Indiana last year alone.

This is just one prong of the governor’s plan to fight drugs in Indiana. The plan starts with preventing people from using drugs by educating medical professionals about opioids and monitoring prescriptions. There is also an effort to increase the capacity and availability of drug treatment options and education programs for young Hoosiers. To view the state’s plan, click here.

The governor’s team will unveil more specifics this summer and plans to meet again in late August.

The deadline for any company that would like to submit a bid to the state for the narcan and naloxone supply is June 12.

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