Johnson County Public Health will spend $46,000 for the remaining of the fiscal year to continue funding harm reduction vending machines placed around the county, following high product distribution in the first five months of the program. 

Public health is requesting roughly $93,000 for the upcoming fiscal year for naloxone.

The vending machines will be supplied through national opioid settlement dollars, meaning Johnson County residents don’t pay for the program. 

The machines are stocked with Narcan, gun locks, birth control, and hygiene kits. Johnson County residents are able to use the machines free of charge by showing their ID. 

As of Jan. 9, Johnson County Public Health reported 587 Naloxones, 665 condoms, and 643 Plan B pills have been distributed in the county. The machines are typically restocked once a month. 

RELATED: JoCo supervisors advance an agreement for an estimated $70,000 mapping software

The vending machines were launched to the community in August with locations at the Coralville Public Library, the Deadwood Tavern, the Johnson County Health and Human Services building, and the North Liberty Library.

Susan Vileta, health educator at Johnson County Public Health, spoke about the challenges the vending machines faced when first introduced with some instances of products being taken and used improperly or wasted, which Vileta called “disheartening.”

Vileta mentioned issues with items being taken and thrown in a park near one of the locations and problems with things being wasted at the Deadwood Tavern location after gamedays. 

Despite the initial issues, Vileta said that the vending machines had seen less waste in recent months and called the results “very positive.”

“I’ve had four different counties reach out to me to hear about our experience and what things cost and what we’re doing,” Vileta said. 

Sam Jarvis, community health division manager at Johnson County Public Health, said Johnson County Public Health is hoping to work on tracking the utilization of the products and locations in the upcoming year. 

“I think for the most part, what we’re excited to do is look at starting to collect some of that quality of stories from folks who have used it, if they so choose,” Jarvis said.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article did not include the $93,000 request for the upcoming fiscal year. The story has been updated.