Boxes of Narcan nasal spray sit on a table at a syringe disposal event hosted by Shred the Stigma, a harm reduction nonprofit based in Oklahoma City. Narcan is the most commonly known form of naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversing drug. (Photo by Carmen Forman/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – State mental health officials are abruptly pulling the plug on a vending machine initiative designed to provide Oklahomans access to overdose-prevention medications and testing strips.
The 25 vending machines offering free naloxone and fentanyl test strips will be removed from their locations by the end of the month, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse said in a statement Friday.
The agency said it began placing vending machines in May 2023, but has determined the program was not cost effective and did not deliver positive enough results.
“After reviewing the financial implications, data, and overall outcomes, it has become evident that the program has not proven to be cost-effective, nor has it consistently delivered the positive results we had hoped for,” said Allie Friesen, commissioner of the agency.