Community Impact of Harm Reduction Vending Machines, a research project led by Jennifer Murphy, associate professor, Penn State Berks, and her team, is pleased to share the remarkable progress achieved through the support of the Presidential Public Impact Research Award (PPIRA) Program. This backing has been instrumental in advancing the project forward and offering meaningful learning experiences for the student participant involved.
“The PPIRA Program is dedicated to supporting faculty and students as they address real-world challenges through innovative, community-engaged research,” said Michael Donovan, associate director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative. “By providing critical resources and hands-on learning opportunities, like those seen in the Community Impact of Harm Reduction Vending Machines project, PPIRA helps advance meaningful solutions and strengthens Penn State’s positive impact across our communities.”
In Murphy’s project, the goals surround the objective of implementing vending machines within the Berks County area, to disperse drug test strips, in order to decrease drug overdose incidents. This support from the PPIRA Program has helped to push the initiative forward, while also increasing hands-on learning opportunities for the singular student involved.
“The “Health to Go” vending machine has been operating successfully in Berks County for the past year. People can use the machine to access health and wellness items, including the lifesaving Narcan, for free,” said Murphy. “The machine also connects people to community resources so they can access health care, SUD treatment, housing resources, and food banks. Thanks to the PPIRA, I was able to work on evaluating the vending machine’s acceptability in the community and its impact on people who use it.”
Murphy and her team have made remarkable progress in community-based research by collaborating with the Council on Chemical Abuse (COCA) organization. The partnership between faculty, organization, and student involvement served as a continuation of further development for the project.
“The ‘Health to Go’ SMART vending machine is an unprecedented opportunity to provide much needed harm reduction and other health resources to the people of Berks County, ” said Kathy Noll, executive director of Berks County’s Single County Authority, COCA. “The machine allows residents to privately access lifesaving Narcan, local resources for assistance, and daily essentials. The SMART vending machine can be customized to provide resources and products specific to local needs. SOS Berks and the COCA are proud to partner with Penn State University in this vital and innovative project.”
Student involvement within this research provided valuable insight into data analysis and supported the facilitation of presenting findings at undergraduate research conferences.
“Out of all my experiences at Penn State Berks, from clubs to fellowships, this initiative has by far been the most impactful,” said Ashley Musante, Student Project Worker. “The items we distribute may seem simple, but to those who receive them, they offer dignity, safety, and sometimes even a second chance at life.”
As the Community Impact of Harm Reduction Vending Machines initiative continues to evolve, it highlights the impact of collaborative research and strong support in driving innovation across both academic and industry areas.
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC) is a research center and information hub for the science of using social science – the aim of the EIC is to improve the data, methods, and processes related to research, the dissemination of evidence, and to understand the impacts of the use of research evidence on societal well-being. Part of the Social Science Research Institute, the EIC leverages expertise in administrative data, program evaluation, and researcher-policymaker relationships for social investment optimization.
The PPIRA program is an initiative of the Public Impact Research Strategic Initiative.