The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) is launching a renewed initiative to expand access to lifesaving overdose prevention tools by strategically redistributing naloxone (Narcan) vending machines to high-need communities across the state.
While access to Narcan has remained uninterrupted through ODMHSAS’s statewide mail-out program and through partnerships with schools, law enforcement, and healthcare providers, this new model shifts the focus toward long-term community ownership as a cornerstone of sustainable overdose prevention.
The vending machines will be placed in areas identified as high-risk through data analysis and needs-based assessments. ODMHSAS will work with potential partners over the next few weeks to transfer ownership and oversight of the vending machines—ensuring more flexible, responsive access to Narcan where it’s needed most.
"This is about listening, learning, and evolving," said Senior Program Manager Andrea Hamor Edmondson. "We never stopped providing Narcan, but we’ve found better ways to deliver it. This new model is about partnership and trust—because no one understands a community’s needs better than the people who live there."
Recognizing that local challenges require local solutions, community partners will manage machine operations, including inventory and access, in alignment with their needs. This decentralized model aims to decrease stigma, remove barriers, and improve rapid response during overdose emergencies.
ODMHSAS remains committed to getting lifesaving resources into the hands of those who need them most and will continue distributing Narcan through all existing channels, including its mail-out program and institutional partnerships. These sustained efforts—combined with a focus on accessibility, trust, and local leadership—reflect the agency’s ongoing commitment to evidence-based, community-driven solutions in the fight against Oklahoma’s opioid crisis.
Maria Chaverri
Communications Coordinator
405-764-4807
