Governor Gavin Newsom announced a major expansion of the CalRx program that will supply emergency asthma medication to California schools at no cost for three years. The initiative, called the School Albuterol Access Initiative, is a partnership with Amneal Pharmaceuticals to provide public and charter schools with emergency albuterol inhalers and spacers starting next week.
About 1 million children in California have asthma, and 1 in 3 with active symptoms miss at least a week of school every year. Albuterol, also known as a rescue inhaler, relaxes the muscles around the airways in the lungs to treat sudden breathing issues and can avert emergencies and emergency room visits.
The 2025-26 California budget provided funding to supply California's public, charter and transitional kindergarten through grade 12 schools with a free, annual emergency stock of two 90-microgram-per-actuation albuterol metered-dose inhalers and 25 single-use disposable spacers for three years. Private schools may purchase products for $9.50 per inhaler and $93.75 per 25-pack of spacers, with all schools able to purchase additional refills at the same prices.
To support implementation, CalRx is partnering with the California School Nurses Organization to provide asthma training guidelines to public school districts at no cost. The training includes techniques for recognizing symptoms of respiratory distress, protocols for emergency use of an inhaler, and follow-up procedures including calling 911 and notifying parents or guardians.
Amneal will launch an ordering system allowing schools to receive products shipped directly to school districts or sites under a statewide albuterol standing order. After three years, schools may continue ordering products directly from Amneal. An albuterol "standing order" signed by Dr. Erica Pan, state public health officer, eliminates the need for individual physician prescriptions. Schools can access the standing order by completing an online application.
CDPH and CalRx will host a statewide webinar on August 25, 2026, for California's TK-12 school community to learn more about the initiative. The School Albuterol Access Initiative is the third drug initiative under CalRx, following the biosimilar insulin program and an over-the-counter naloxone program.