A Narcan vending machine outside of Johnson Health Center in Johnson, Vermont (Photo courtesy of The Johnson Health Center)

(NOVEMBER 9, 2023) Thanks to a grant from the University of Vermont’s Center on Rural Addiction (CORA), the Johnson Health Center in Johnson, Vermont, has a vending machine that dispenses free boxes of the life-saving overdose reversal drug naloxone (also known by its brand name, Narcan), the first of its kind in the state.

“We do technical assistance calls every week with providers,” said Kelly Peck, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and CORA’s director of clinical operations. “‘What do you need? We’ll get it out to you.’” Placing naloxone into the hands most likely to use it has always been a priority.

Misconceptions of what naloxone is, and what it does, persist, said Gail Rose, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and a member of the CORA team. “It’s a lifesaving medication. It’s not something that will get you high. In fact, it’s quite the opposite” she explained. “It will remove the opiate from the receptors in your brain.” And it does no harm if administered to someone who isn’t overdosing on an opioid. “People are learning more about naloxone and the value of harm reduction,” she added—which often opens the door to treatment options.

CORA has since extended grant opportunities for five more machines in rural communities throughout the region.