Narcan Dispensers Being Piloted In Philly To Curb Overdose Deaths

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia now has two locations where the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan is available for free anytime.

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health opened a Narcan Near Me tower at the Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library as part of a new pilot program that seeks to curb opioid overdose deaths.

Narcan Near Me towers allow people to get life-saving naloxone and other overdose reversal supplies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, anonymously, and for free.

This is the first of two towers to be installed in Philadelphia, and the first in a major U.S. city.

"We have lost too many Philadelphians to the overdose crisis," Mayor Jim Kenney said. "That’s why we are trying new and novel ideas to help save lives. The Narcan Near Me Towers from Dispension, Inc. are exactly the type of bold response that we need. With these Towers, we can ensure that life-saving naloxone is available 24 hours a day in areas that need it."

In 2020, Philadelphia recorded 1,214 overdose deaths. Overdose deaths in Black, non-Hispanic Philadelphians rose by nearly 30 percent, Hispanic Philadelphians by 1.1 percent, while white Philadelphians experienced a nearly 10 percent drop in overdose deaths compared to 2019.

In the first six months of 2021, the Health Department recorded 582 overdose deaths, putting the city on track for its worst year in overdose deaths, and it is expected that the changing demographics will continue.

"Since 2017, Philadelphia has been fighting rising overdose deaths due to the spread of fentanyl in the heroin being sold in the city," Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said. "West Philly is one of the places that has been hardest hit by the fact that fentanyl can potentially be in any drug. We need to take action today. We need to make sure that people here in West Philly have free, easy access to Narcan today. That’s why we’re here today: because we found a new and innovative way to start to get Narcan into West Philly."

The program called Narcan Near Me is part of the Health Department’s harm reduction and overdose response program.

The tower acts as a locker, containing 22 overdose prevention kits which can be accessed by tapping the touch screen on the front of the device.

In the case of an emergency, the kiosk can connect directly to 911.

Each kit contains two doses of Narcan, gloves, face shields, and a visual aid on how to administer the medication.

An optional survey collects data about tower users, and the touch screen provides important public health messaging and overdose awareness information.

The kiosks will be located in two in West Philadelphia with plans to expand the program to additional locations.

In Canada, Dispension’s harm reduction kiosks have facilitated more than 10,000 pickups throughout the country, as part of a government-funded program to prevent overdoses and reduce crime.

This new partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is the first of its kind in the United States.

"Within the Library system, there have been over 54 reported incidents concerning overdoses," Free Library of Philadelphia President and Director Kelly Richards said. "Free Library staff members account for 41% of the times Narcan was administered. The administration of Narcan has helped many of our community members by reversing the effects of an opioid-related overdose. Having a Narcan Near Me tower outside our library is a special opportunity to provide no-cost Narcan to those experiencing overdoses and help save lives."

Naloxone, brand name Narcan, is an opioid antagonist which can block a person’s opioid receptors and stop an overdose.

It is non-addictive and cannot be used to get high. In 2020, more than 60,000 doses of naloxone were given to community organizations, first responders, and criminal justice organizations.

More than 21,000 doses were purchased at pharmacies by Medicaid beneficiaries in Philadelphia.