Arizona’s next naloxone shipment: 13,198 doses headed to communities this fall

Arizona has elected to receive 6,599 units of nasal naloxone — 13,198 individual doses — from Hikma Pharmaceuticals as part of the company’s opioid settlement obligations. The state’s first order deadline was March 24, 2026; the shipment is scheduled to arrive in September 2026.

This is one of those updates that reads like a procurement note and matters more than it looks.

Why this is news

Arizona is in line to receive up to $1.215 billion in opioid settlement money over the 18-year payout window, with 44% going to the state and 56% flowing to counties and cities. AHCCCS, the state’s Medicaid program, allocated roughly $776 million to substance use disorder services in 2024 — and naloxone distribution is one of the highest-leverage line items inside that work. A single nasal dose, in the right hands at the right moment, prevents a death.

Maricopa County, home to roughly 60% of the state’s population, reported fentanyl involvement in 59% of fatal overdoses in 2024 and methamphetamine involvement in 67% (the two figures overlap). The county’s “Shot in the Dark” program continues to distribute naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and clean syringes, and uses settlement funds to expand medication-assisted treatment in jails and connect people to community providers on release.

Why this matters for people in recovery

If you or someone you love uses opioids — prescribed or unregulated — there should be naloxone in the house, the car, and the bag. It’s free at most Arizona pharmacies under the standing order, free at many county health-department locations, and increasingly free through workplace and faith-community programs. Carrying it is not a statement about anyone’s recovery. It’s a statement about the supply.

If you’re not sure where to get naloxone in your part of Arizona, Rize Recovery can point you to the closest distribution sites and walk you through how to use it.