Seven vending machines throughout Allegheny County will dispense free naloxone, a drug that can reverse opioid overdoses.
Naloxone can reverse overdoses that would otherwise be fatal; it is also often commonly referred to by the brand name Narcan.
“The Narcan vending machines are just our latest attempt to get Narcan… into the hands of people that may witness an overdose in our community,” said Otis Pitts, deputy director for the Allegheny County Health Department’s bureau of food safety, housing, and policy.
The health department also gives Narcan to a number of organizations that distribute it, and individuals can request free Narcan from the department as well.
The machines were purchased with a CDC grant. There is also information on the side of the machines about additional treatment and support services.
Two of the vending machines are already in place; one is outside the outpatient drug and alcohol treatment center Jade Wellness Center in the South Side, the other outside Tree of Life Bible Church in Brookline. Another machine will be placed soon in McKeesport, Pitts said. More will be placed in the coming weeks.
The machines are very convenient, said Rev. Lance Rhoades, senior pastor at the church.
“The wonder of the vending machine is that it's 24/7 access,” said Rhoades, who also heads the South Pittsburgh Opioid Action Coalition. “You don't have to talk to anybody. And the more accessible it is, the easier it is to be able to get people lifesaving overdose reversal medication.”
Alex Perla, director of admissions and outreach at Jade Wellness Center agreed that the anonymity of the machines is helpful for anyone who might not be comfortable asking for naloxone.
“This gives them a space to go where nobody knows,” he said. “They can press a button, it comes out, and then they can take it, and nobody sees them.”
The Narcan in the machines is funded by various sources, including the county’s portion of national legal settlements with companies that made and distributed opioids, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
Feedback so far has been positive.
“We know that people are using it,” Rhoades said. “Family members of people who use drugs, that need to have access to Narcan, are incredibly happy to see something like this available.”
A number of other areas have used naloxone vending machines; a CNN analysis found them in at least 33 states and the District of Columbia.
An analysis from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said such machines have been able to reduce fatal overdoses and suggested communities consider them as a harm-reduction measure.
Allegheny County saw 665 overdose deaths in 2023, a slight decrease from 2022.
Pitts said he believes recent decreases in total fatal overdoses are due to harm reduction efforts, including increasing access to Narcan and fentanyl test strips, which can also prevent overdoses.
Free naloxone is also available through the Health Department.
