Free vending machines to dispense Narcan at 7 Allegheny County locations

A new vending machine outside Tree of Life Open Bible Church in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood dispenses free naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug often referred to by the brand name Narcan.

It’s one of seven naloxone vending machines that Allegheny County will be operating to provide a convenient way for people to access the lifesaving drug.

The vending machines aim to make Narcan more accessible, said the Rev. Lance Rhoades, who leads the church and serves as executive director of the South Pittsburgh Opioid Action Coalition.

By using the machine, people can get naloxone without having to interact with anyone, which can be a barrier for those too embarrassed or nervous to ask for such services, he said.

“Putting it in a vending machine, putting it outside in a well-lit area, knowing it’s available 24/7, means it’s accessible,” he said.

For people who want more support, the church offers recovery assistance programs. A list of additional resources is printed on the side of the vending machine.

The program is new, Rhoades said, but already people have taken naloxone from the machine, which sits outside the church along Brookline Boulevard.

“We really just want everybody to know if they are interacting with somebody who might be using drugs or if they themselves use drugs, this is a safe place to be able to get naloxone, get it quickly and get it discreetly,” he said.

The Allegheny County Health Department also has installed machines at Jade Wellness in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats neighborhood and at Mon Yough Community Services in McKeesport, said Otis Pitts, the department’s deputy director for the Bureau of Food Safety, Housing & Policy.

County officials are finalizing agreements with other partner organizations to host four additional machines in the coming weeks, he said.

The machines cost about $1,100 each and were paid for using grant funding from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant. Funds will cover expenses associated with the machines and naloxone supplies, Pitts said.

Anyone can take naloxone from the machines at no charge. There is no specialized training required to use naloxone, he said, but each dose comes with instructions in the packaging.

Common signs of an opioid overdose can include slow breathing, discoloration around the lips and inability to speak or be awakened, he said.

Carnegie Mellon University offers Narcan at two Wellness to Go vending machines on its campus. The vending machines — which also offer emergency contraception, condoms, pregnancy tests, pain relievers, covid-19 rapid antigen tests and other common medicines — were installed in the spring 2024 semester.

CMU’s machines are unrelated to the county’s naloxone vending program.