Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) announced that it has recently partnered with Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS) and installed a harm reduction vending machine at Verde Valley Medical Center (VVMC) in Cottonwood. The vending machine, located outside VVMC’s Emergency Department, dispenses free Naloxone, also knowns as NARCAN, an opioid overdose-reversal drug that can be life-saving during an overdose. The Naloxone is provided by YCCHS.
“We know how important harm reduction is in this day and age, and we are pleased that we are able to offer this to the community, thanks to our partnership with YCCHS,” said Dave Cheney, CEO of Northern Arizona Healthcare. “Naloxone use saves lives, and making it available for free to the community increases the chances that someone has it with them when they need to help someone else who is overdosing.”
Public health vending machines are an innovative, low-barrier strategy to reduce stigma and reach those who may not already be connected to harm-reduction services. Similar machines in the U.S. have demonstrated success at reducing rates of overdose and infectious disease.
The vending machine will be available for use 24 hours a day. VVMC is located at 269 S. Candy Lane, Cottonwood.
For more information on Yavapai County’s opioid response and substance abuse programs and initiatives, click below: