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Public-health group urges board to use opioid-settlement funds for Narcan vending machines
Summary
A Mississippi Public Health Institute program manager urged Adams County supervisors to fund 24/7 naloxone vending machines with opioid-settlement dollars, saying machines in other counties have delivered thousands of naloxone doses and collect useful usage data; board members asked about legalities, placement and maintenance.
A program manager from the Mississippi Public Health Institute told the Adams County Board of Supervisors that naloxone (Narcan) vending machines could expand life-saving access and be funded with opioid-settlement dollars. The presenter said the machines are in use in other Mississippi communities and collect usage data the institute uses to measure impact.
The presenter, identified in the transcript as a program manager with the institute, said the vending machines have produced high distribution totals in other deployments: “We are seeing over 1,000 boxes of naloxone administered throughout Harrison County and Jackson County per month,” and that each dispensed box contains two naloxone doses. The speaker said placement near emergency departments, or at fire stations, is a best practice because those sites are accessible 24/7 and can direct people to care.
Board members probed legal and operational details. A supervisor asked about whether the machines were placed at emergency rooms; the presenter responded they have placed machines by emergency departments and at fire stations, and that the institute would service and restock units. The presenter acknowledged legal questions about dispensing and suggested the county could adopt an MOU similar to one the institute uses with a Hattiesburg hospital system.
The presenter recommended using opioid-settlement funds for purchase and noted the institute’s role in ongoing servicing and data collection. The board did not take a final vote; staff were asked to review legal questions and next steps before a purchasing decision.
The board is expected to follow up with county counsel and staff to clarify procurement and any required memoranda of understanding; no formal appropriation was made at the hearing.
