Free Overdose Meds Vending Machines in Oklahoma

A new life-saving resource may be coming to an Oklahoma town near you through a program to provide greater access to free opioid overdose reversal medications statewide.

As drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among those under age 50 in the nation, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services will soon place eye-catching vending machines containing Naloxone and FYL test strip kits in highly trafficked areas in communities statewide.

The campaign will kick off with the distribution of more than 40 unique vending machines placed in strategic zip code locations where overdose prevalence is high, making this the largest-scale initiative in the U.S.

"The list of vending machines is still being finalized, but we are open to location recommendations from community partners. We have some libraries, etc. booked but would love for Bartlesville or Pawhuska organizations to offer their spaces to host a machine," Ashley Glass, a public relations spokeswoman for the department, told the EE.

In 2020 alone, drug overdoses in the U.S. increased by 31%, with nearly 92,000 lives lost that year. More than 70% of these overdoses were driven by opioids, including synthetic opioids such as FYL, according to the department.

Methamphetamine and illicit FYL are the leading substances involved in drug overdoses in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The rate of unintentional drug overdose deaths increased 67% between 2019 and 2021.

What's the situation in Bartlesville?
Bartlesville has seen a sudden surge in FYL overdoses and deaths in the last couple of years.

The city saw 12 confirmed FYL overdose cases in 2021, and in the first 10 months of 2022, there were 53 confirmed overdose cases, according to the Bartlesville Police Department.

Since Jan. 1, BPD has documented 24 overdoses overall and has used Naloxone to reverse overdoses in 12 of those people, said BPD Corporal Cody Lemmons, who supervises the department's Community Impact Team.

There have been two confirmed overdose deaths and four deaths that are pending confirmation by the medical examiner since the beginning of the year, he said.

While nearly 300,000 Oklahomans report having a substance use disorder, statistics show that about 90% of individuals who receive evidence-based treatment report they get better.

“Our hope is that people are educated about substance use disorders and that they understand what free, live-saving resources are available within reach,” Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Carrie Slatton-Hodges said.

Saving lives
According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention, nearly 40% of overdoses had a bystander present who could have intervened, conveying the importance of ensuring all Oklahomans have access to these life-saving resources.

“We believe each Oklahoma household can benefit from having essential tools like these Naloxone and FYL Test Strip Kits on hand, as most of us know a friend or loved one who has been affected by accidental overdose.” Slatton-Hodges said.

Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, binding to opioid receptors to reverse and block the effects of opioids. FYL test strips are small strips of paper that can detect the presence of FYL in various types of substances. Both are available to Oklahomans statewide free of charge online as well.

“Substance use disorder is a chronic, treatable disease that individuals can recover from and go on to live healthy lives when provided with effective tools, which is why it’s critical for us to provide free and easy access to treatment in the state,” Slatton-Hodges said.

Source: Examiner Enterprise