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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
California just launched the nation's first state-funded program to supply free albuterol inhalers to all public and charter K–12 schools. The School Albuterol Access Initiative, a 3-year partnership with Amneal Pharmaceuticals under the CalRx program, will provide inhalers and spacers — plus free staff training — to 10,000 schools. Experts hope other states will follow suit.
California just made history as the first state to universally fund and distribute emergency asthma medication to public and charter schools. The School Albuterol Access Initiative — a 3-year partnership between the state and Amneal Pharmaceuticals under Gov. Newsom's CalRx program — will supply 10,000 K–12 schools with free albuterol inhalers and spacers, along with free staff training on recognizing and responding to respiratory emergencies.
Currently, only 25 states and D.C. have laws allowing schools to stock undesignated quick-relief inhalers, and even those states typically leave the financial burden on individual school districts. California's model flips that script by using state budget funds to purchase and deliver the medication directly — removing cost as a barrier for cash-strapped districts.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Asthma attacks don't wait for a child to have their own inhaler on hand. By stocking schools with free medication and trained staff, California is reducing ER visits, keeping kids in class, and setting a replicable model that advocates are urging other states to adopt nationwide.
