A new public-health vending machine has been installed outside NeighborHealth on Gove Street, marking the first 24-hour outdoor health-supply vending machine in Boston. The initiative is a partnership between NeighborHealth and the Boston Public Health Commission.
The goal is to provide round-the-clock, anonymous access to basic health and harm-reduction supplies with no appointment required. Anyone can use the machine, which is located near the emergency department entrance.
What the machine offers
Items currently available include:
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Naloxone (Narcan)
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Fentanyl test strips
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Safer-use and wound-care supplies
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Menstrual products and condoms
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Hygiene kits
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Socks, sunblock, and other basic-needs items
Users can select up to four free items per visit. Product information is available in multiple languages.
Why East Boston
NeighborHealth selected the East Boston location based on community-health data and feedback indicating the need for low-barrier access to supplies outside of normal clinic hours. The machine was developed after a two-year planning process that included input from neighborhood stakeholders.
Additional features
The machine is positioned next to a sharps-disposal container and a posted list of local health-care and social-service resources. Usage data will be reviewed monthly to help determine which supplies are most needed and whether inventory should be adjusted.
Looking ahead
If the program proves successful, the Boston Public Health Commission and NeighborHealth have indicated that similar machines may be placed in other neighborhoods.
You can learn more by visiting here.
There are also four other machines in Boston. The machines are located at: BPHC Recovery Services in the Finland Building, Southampton Street Shelter, EnVision Hotel, and the North End Waterfront Community Health Center’s Charlestown public housing location. Each machine will contain harm reduction supplies including naloxone, safe injection kits, and fentanyl test strips. Sites are still developing plans on how to best utilize these vending machines and have a degree of flexibility in how they stock them. Organizations can choose to stock machines with other public health necessities like pregnancy tests, socks, and PPE.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
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