Free Narcan now available through vending machine at Parkland
24/7 access to overdose-reversal medication helps remove barriers to lifesaving treatment
Parkland Health has installed a vending machine offering free naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, in the Ron J. Anderson, MD, Pharmacy waiting area. The medication can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, and the new vending machine provides around-the-clock access to patients, families and others who may need it.
While many naloxone vending machines are in community settings, Parkland's distribution point on the hospital campus provides direct access to individuals at risk for opioid overdose and those who may witness one. Parkland joins at least 27 naloxone distribution locations across Dallas County, according to a map by Texas Health and Human Services.
Drug overdose deaths in Dallas County have nearly doubled since 2016, underscoring the need for expanded access to naloxone. The 2025 Parkland and Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment identified behavioral health and mental wellness as the community's highest priority and found that fentanyl continues to be the primary driver of opioid-related deaths.
Parkland treats patients at risk for opioid overdose in both the emergency department and in outpatient recovery programs such as Paths to Recovery. Expanding access to naloxone is one of several strategies the health system is pursuing to prevent overdose deaths and connect patients with ongoing care.
"We see naloxone as a bridge to recovery — first we save a life, and then we connect people to ongoing care and support," said Geoff Camp, MHA, Parkland’s Vice President of Behavioral Health Services. “This is all about reducing barriers to get naloxone in the hands of people at risk of an opioid overdose and anybody in the community that may witness an overdose."
Parkland partnered with Naloxone Texas, a statewide initiative focused on increasing naloxone distribution administered by the UT Health San Antonio Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders and supported by federal and state funding. Through the partnership, Parkland received the vending machine at no cost. Naloxone Texas also helps replenish supplies, ensuring continued access to the medication.
No prescription is required to obtain naloxone. A standard two-dose box can cost around $40 at a pharmacy, but the vending machine makes the medication free of charge. It also offers a more private way to obtain naloxone, helping reduce the stigma that may prevent some people from seeking it.
The machine holds up to 200 units and saw strong community demand immediately after it opened on October 12. Camp noted that surviving an overdose can sometimes prompt individuals to seek treatment and recovery services.
The initiative also supports recommendations from the Community Health Needs Assessment to increase naloxone access, strengthen overdose prevention, and expand distribution at points of care.
Pedro Fernandez, MD, Parkland Chief of Psychiatry and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center, said expanding access to naloxone has long been a priority at Parkland. Dr. Fernandez also serves on the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council, which oversees the allocation of opioid settlement funds to support prevention, treatment, and recovery initiatives across Texas.
"What makes this particularly important is that Parkland has the busiest emergency department in the country," he said. "We care for a large number of patients who come through our emergency services with complications related to opioid use, whether they are experiencing an overdose or complications such as infections associated with injection drug use."
"Having a Narcan vending machine located in our discharge pharmacy creates an important opportunity to reach people at high risk for overdose, as well as their loved ones," Dr. Fernandez added. "It makes it much more likely that they will see it, recognize its value, and be able to take this lifesaving medication home."
"Making naloxone readily available is especially important for family members and others who may witness an overdose, since a person experiencing an opioid overdose generally cannot administer the medication to themselves.
"When someone experiences an opioid overdose, they are often completely dependent on the people around them to recognize what's happening and help save their life," he said. "Opioid addiction affects far more than just the individual. It affects families, loved ones, and entire communities. Making this lifesaving medication readily accessible gives those people the ability to potentially save someone's life."
Dr. Fernandez emphasizes that Narcan is an extremely safe medication with no potential for abuse.
"Narcan has no potential for abuse or misuse," he said. "It is a medication that can save someone's life, and there is no concern about someone using it for reasons other than reversing an opioid overdose."
Parkland leaders said they will continue evaluating additional locations across the health system to expand access to naloxone and support ongoing overdose prevention efforts.
Funding support for Naloxone Texas includes:
Texas Targeted Opioid Response, a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; the 89th General Appropriations Act Texas (House Bill 1); and Texas Overdose Data to Action, a program of the Texas Department of State Health Services through federal funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information about services available at Parkland, please visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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