![Medicine bottles labeled "Injectable Naloxone"](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2024/01/n21217931/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1704384285913.jpg)
Enquirer: New vending machines offer naloxone, could reduce spread of HIV
The Cincinnati Enquirer recently reported on new vending machines located in Cincinnati that are stocked with free harm reduction supplies. The supplies include naloxone, the drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, fentanyl test strips and condoms.
Harm reduction vending machines are becoming more common throughout Hamilton County and nationwide after a program run by Cincinnati nonprofit Caracole in partnership with the University of Cincinnati launched one of the first vending machines in the United States in 2021. Now, the new machines operated by Hamilton County Public Health are providing access in more areas of the city.
UC researcher Dan Arendt, PharmD, assistant professor in UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy and co-chair of the pain stewardship committee for UC Health, published research in 2022 that found the vending machine "led to an increased accessibility of harm reduction products and services" and helped contribute to Hamilton County’s overdose deaths decreasing in 2021. Since then, Arendt has continued to research the machine's effects.
Arendt and Suzanne Bachmeyer, Caracole's director of prevention, have become national and international advocates for the use of the vending machines. The duo was also recently featured in a recent Rotary Magazine story.
Arendt told Rotary Magazine that as of October 2023, naloxone accessed through the Caracole vending machine has been used to reverse nearly 3,500 overdoses since its launch in February 2021. Test strips have detected fentanyl in users' drug supply about 5,800 times.
"We found that the best bang for your buck in terms of just overall dollars spent in harm reduction is when naloxone is given to the community who is at risk," Arendt said. "It’s something that we’re hoping will help because this current system doesn’t work well enough that these things aren’t needed."
One of the earliest harm reduction organizations in the region, The Cincinnati Exchange Project, provided sterile syringes to people who used drugs beginning in 2014 and was led by former University of Cincinnati infectious disease expert Judith Feinberg.
Read the Enquirer article. (Note: Subscription may be required to read full article.)
Read the Rotary Magazine story.
Read more about the Caracole/UC vending machine project.
Featured photo at top of bottles of injectable naloxone. Photo/iStock/PowerofForever.
Related Stories
Enquirer: New vending machines offer naloxone, could reduce spread of HIV
January 3, 2024
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported on new harm reduction vending machines operated by Hamilton County Public Health, citing University of Cincinnati research that the vending machines increase accessibility to harm reduction products and services.
Local 12: CPS students get head start on pharmacy careers through UC partnership
January 25, 2024
Local 12 highlighted a partnership between the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Public Schools that is helping high school students earn class credit, and a potential paycheck, through pharmacy technician training.
Physics World: Engineered bacteria attract cancer-killing radioisotopes into tumors
April 14, 2023
Physics World highlighted research led by the University of Cincinnati's Nalinikanth Kotagiri that shows a proof of concept for using engineered bacteria as an adapter to deliver targeted radionuclide treatment to tumors.
International media highlight harm reduction vending machine research
December 19, 2022
National and local media outlets highlighted the partnership between the University of Cincinnati's Dan Arendt and Cincinnati nonprofit Caracole, who have installed a harm reduction vending machine that helps prevent overdoses in Hamilton County.
Local 12: UC researchers study how to personalize COVID-19 treatments
March 22, 2023
Local 12 highlighted the University of Cincinnati's Bingfang Yan, who recently received a a $2.5 million National Institutes of Health grant to study how COVID-19 therapeutics can work together to create more effective and safe treatments for patients.
Medical News Today: Gene mutation may be a key to lung cancer treatment
September 21, 2022
Medical News Today highlighted recent research led by the University of Cincinnati's Pier Paolo Scaglioni, MD, that found targeting components of lipid metabolism and synthesis could lead to an effective lung cancer treatment.
Yahoo News: UC researchers aim to offer more cancer treatment options for patients
September 16, 2022
WLWT and Yahoo News highlighted work being done by University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers to advance cancer care through new immunotherapy and cellular therapy treatments.
Medium highlights UC research of light as treatment for cancer
August 10, 2022
Medium featured the research of the University of Cincinnati's Jiajie Diao, PhD, who recently published a paper showing early results that light-activated proteins can help normalize dysfunction within cells.
Radiology Business: In-house medical 3D print shops may save time, cut costs
August 24, 2022
Radiology Business highlighted the research of the University of Cincinnati's Prashanth Ravi and Frank Rybicki that found an in-house 3D print shop saved almost $3,000 per patient in operating-room costs thanks to shortened procedure times.
New guidelines recommend screening children 8-18 for anxiety disorders
October 13, 2022
The University of Cincinnati's Jeffrey Strawn, MD, is senior author of a new editorial in JAMA discussing new recommendations that children and adolescents ages 8 to 18 should be screened for anxiety disorders.