Vending
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May 12, 2025
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has launched 51 Community Health Stations, which are self-serve vending machines providing free overdose prevention and public health supplies to underserved communities.
These machines dispense COVID-19 self-test kits, naloxone, fentanyl test strips and condoms, according to a press release.
The initiative aims to provide easy, 24/7 access to these critical resources in locations such as pharmacies, health centers, community centers and homeless shelters. Public Health plans to deploy a total of 100 such stations in the coming months.
«COVID-19 self-tests, naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and condoms allow individuals to take actions that protect themselves and others in the community,» Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said in the release. «Having free public health supplies available to residents seven days a week through the self-service Community Health Stations makes it easier to access important products that support health and save lives.»
Residents can locate the nearest Community Health Station using an interactive map available at ph.lacounty.gov/CommunityHealthStation. The machines also offer a short, voluntary anonymous survey for data collection.
The Community Health Stations are a collaborative effort between Public Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau and the Division of HIV and STD Programs.