Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is now being offered for free from a vending machine in southeast Lincoln.
It’s located at Centerpointe, a non-profit organization dedicated to crisis response for behavioral health and substance use issues.
Narcan is the only thing that can prevent an opioid overdose. To Centerpointe’s Chief Clinical Officer Ryan Carruthers, it’s important that people have access to resources that can prevent overdoses sooner.
“The idea is to reduce all barriers to getting this into people's hands,” Carruthers said.
Over-the-counter distribution of Naloxone was only recently made legal in Nebraska, making it possible for the drug to be offered through what many call a harm reduction vending machine.
Though the machines offer more than just Naloxone — Centerpointe’s also houses safe sex kits, first aid kits and drug destruction bags — the primary goal is to distribute Naloxone. Funding from a recent opioid settlement pays for the machine.
This kind of accessibility could be a step in the right direction to addressing the stigma that’s attached to the need for the drug, Carruther’s said.
“The stigma around mental health and substance use issues is real and it's deadly,” Carruthers said. “Previously, you would have to go into a pharmacy and sign a form. It was provided for free, but having to sign for it. Putting barriers in place really reinforces that stigma and then ultimately makes people not reach out for the resource which could absolutely save a life.”
It’s simple to get the Naloxone, or any of the other resources, out of the machine. People need to input the number of whichever item they’re in need of, and they’ll walk away with it at no cost.
Being home to Nebraska’s first harm reduction vending machine aligns with the goals of Centerpointe, Carruthers explained.
“When this opportunity came up, we jumped at the chance to be at the forefront of it,” he said. “Something that is core to our mission of helping people get better sooner for longer. And we just really believe in the idea that no one should have to die unnecessarily because of something that could have been reversed by a $40 medication if they would have had it.”