COLUMBUS, Ohio — A unique vending machine at a Columbus opioid outpatient treatment clinic is aiming to help those in the community in need of preventative supplies.
The vending machine, located just inside Community Medical Services on Dublin Road, is accessible to anyone and is filled with items including naloxone, pregnancy tests, condoms and fentanyl testing strips. All items are free of charge.
The machine at this location has been in operation since September 2023 and has since dispensed almost 500 kits of naloxone, over 1,400 fentanyl testing strips, over 1,200 condoms and nearly 300 pregnancy tests.
The clinic partnered with Columbus Public Health, which is providing all the items for the vending machine for the first year of its service. After that, the clinic will be stocking it themselves.
Jessie Jennings, the community impact manager at the clinic, emphasizes that the purpose of vending machine is to keep people safe and to help save lives.
"You never know when you're gonna have the opportunity to save a life. Whether or not you have any involvement in drug use, a friend, a family member, but anybody can benefit from these tools," she said.
In order to get an item from the machine, there is a short demographic form that asks for zip code, gender and race. After filling out the form, each person is given a unique code to get the item of their choice.
While all the items are free, there are limits on how often you can get each product. The limits are set at one pregnancy test per month and one naloxone kit per month, while condoms and fentanyl testing strips can be taken once a week.
"Our vision is to lead the change to eliminate consequences of drug use in our communities," Jennings said.
For those interested in accessing any of the items, visit Community Medical Services's website or visit their clinic directly.