Using vending machines to provide harm reduction services in communities
Official title: Vending machines: a low-barrier method to deliver harm reduction services in the community
Funded at Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr · NIH-11054827 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how smart vending machines can help people at risk of substance use issues by providing easy access to lifesaving tools like naloxone and fentanyl test strips, all in a friendly and non-judgmental way, to help reduce overdose deaths in the community.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hershey, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $200,772 |
| NIH project number | 1K23DA060412-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11054827 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals at risk of substance use disorders or those who may benefit from harm reduction services.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not at risk of substance use disorders or do not require harm reduction services may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the use of smart vending machines to deliver harm reduction services, such as naloxone and fentanyl test strips, to individuals at risk of substance use disorders. By providing these services in a non-stigmatizing and easily accessible manner, the project aims to increase engagement with underserved populations and reduce overdose deaths. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of these vending machines in various community settings and identify barriers to their implementation. It employs a rigorous approach to ensure that the findings can inform future strategies for harm reduction.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce overdose deaths and improve access to treatment for individuals with substance use disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using innovative delivery methods for harm reduction services, suggesting that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr
Hershey, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Alice — Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Alice
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
Understanding the STIM/Orai Calcium Signaling Pathway in Cancer
Researchers are studying how STIM and Orai proteins control calcium signals inside cells and how this affects cancer-related growth and remodeling, with hopes to find ways to influence these signals for better treatments.
-
Understanding how some Amish communities maintain high birth rates in modern times
A project will build a large, time-sensitive dataset to understand why Amish families keep having many children, even as broader society has much lower birth rates.
-
Scoliosis and neurosurgical factors in myelomeningocele: a clinic registry study
This project uses registry data from Penn State’s Spina Bifida Clinic to understand how brain and spine-related issues influence when and why scoliosis surgery is needed in people with myelomeningocele.
-
Understanding how damaged stomach cells revert to a repair state to prevent cancer
Researchers are studying how certain stomach cells re-enter the cell cycle to aid tissue repair, and how this process might lead to metaplasia or cancer if it goes wrong.
-
Aging, cell aging, and how MCPyV causes Merkel cell carcinoma
Aging and aging-related changes in skin cells may help a common virus (MCPyV) persist and potentially lead to a rare skin cancer in people with weaker immune systems.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.