Proposed Missouri Budget Cut Could Impact Naloxone Distribution Program

Jefferson City, Mo. (KFMO) - A proposed reduction in Missouri’s state budget could have serious consequences for a program that provides overdose-reversing drugs statewide.

The Missouri House budget includes an $8 million cut to the naloxone distribution program. That would amount to roughly a 50 percent reduction in funding.

Experts warn that such a cut could significantly limit access to naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, and reduce training opportunities for first responders across the state.

The program distributed approximately 1.3 million doses of naloxone in Missouri last year. That helped to reduce overdose deaths statewide, which dropped from more than 2,000 in 2022 to about 1,450 in 2024.

Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, is widely regarded by health professionals as a critical tool in combating opioid overdoses, and has reportedly saved countless lives.

The program is currently funded through legal settlements, though officials say there is flexibility in how those funds are allocated.

The Missouri Senate is now reviewing the House’s proposed budget. Lawmakers are working to address a projected $2 billion deficit, while Governor Mike Kehoe’s budget proposal had called for maintaining funding for the naloxone program.