HOPE Family Health Makes NARCAN® and Fentanyl Self-Testing Strips Available 24/7 in Two Locations
[Westmoreland, TN (February 7, 2025) – HOPE Family Health is installing Public Health Vending Machines that dispense free NARCAN® and fentanyl self-test strips in three area locations, CEO Jennifer Dittes announced this week.
HOPE installed its first vending machine in January, placing it in the lobby of HOPE Westmoreland facility at 1124 New Highway 52 East in Westmoreland. The public can access this machine anytime during HOPE’s business hours. A second machine will stand inside Corner Cleaners, located at 200 Church Street in Lafayette, with installation slated for the second week of February. Additionally, Hartsville’s Coin Laundry on East Main Street, currently under renovation, will hold the third machine. Both laundromat locations will offer access to the vending machines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Each vending machine contains up to 36 NARCAN® kits and 12 fentanyl test strip kits. Additionally, each machine plays instructional videos for how to administer and use the harm-reduction products inside the kits. They also provide information for addiction resources within the community for anyone seeking help for themselves or a loved one.
HOPE received funding for the harm reduction project as a result of a grant from the State of Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Council. Formed by the Tennessee legislature in 2022, the OAC is charged with the responsibility of disbursing proceeds from opioid-related lawsuits to ensure the funds support programs designed to prevent and reduce misuse of opioid products, opioid overdoses, and the effects of opioid addiction on lives and communities in Tennessee.
“With this project HOPE has the opportunity to make a real difference beyond the doors of our clinics,” Dittes said. “While most health departments and law enforcement agencies provide access to naloxone, to our knowledge the only other counties in the state of Tennessee that currently offer 24/7 access are Davidson and Knox Counties. And overdoses don’t always wait for business hours.”
“Helping to save lives and improve the quality of life for underserved people is central to HOPE’s mission of making healthcare available for all,” she added. “This is an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of people in our service area, and we are excited to be able to make these harm-reduction tools available.”
NARCAN® is an easily administered nasal spray that reverses the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing for a person who has overdosed. It can work within two minutes, with effects lasting 30 to 120 minutes. For a person whose symptoms are common to overdoses as well as other types of medical emergency, NARCAN® is generally safe to administer without causing additional harm even if a victim does not have opioids in their system.
Fentanyl test strips detect the presence of fentanyl in different types of drugs in different forms, including pills, powder and injectables. Used since 1960 as an anesthetic and for pain relief, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than many prescription opioids and is inexpensive and easy to produce illegally. Drug dealers often mix fentanyl with cocaine, heroin, meth, and in fake prescription drugs sold on the street. For unsuspecting consumers, results are all too often fatal.
In addition to the vending machines, The Pharmacy at HOPE (HOPE Westmoreland location) now dispenses DisposeRx® to anyone who possesses a current prescription for opioid medications. Often offered by police departments and pharmacies across the nation, especially on “Take Back Days,” DisposeRx® comes in a packet containing powder made of FDA-approved inactive drug ingredients. When the powder is poured into a bottle containing prescription meds and then mixed with water, it forms a gel that renders the pills ineffective.
About HOPE Family Health
Founded in 2005, HOPE Family Health is a nonprofit health center offering primary medical care including radiology, psychiatric services, counseling, onsite pharmacy, and access to dental services to patients of every insurance and income status. HOPE applies an integrated approach to healthcare by teaming providers from every specialty to ensure a well-rounded, individually tailored care plan for every patient. To know more, visit https://www.hopefamilyhealth.org/
