Expanding Narcan Access in Rural Communities

SWACH recently helped install two new Narcan kiosks in Klickitat County, expanding access to lifesaving overdose prevention resources in rural communities.

One kiosk is located at the Lyle Lions Club in Lyle, near the local bus stop, where it is available around the clock. The location was selected to make Narcan easier to access without requiring an appointment or traveling a long distance for services.

“The kiosk provides easy, low-barrier access to Narcan and is designed to remain outdoors and accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round,” said Janyce Richardson, SWACH Community Health Improvement Specialist.

SWACH recently joined the Lyle community for a community night and plans to provide additional Narcan administration education to help residents feel prepared to respond to an overdose.

A second kiosk was installed outside Goldendale Pharmacy in Goldendale. The partnership is part of a broader effort to connect people experiencing substance use disorder or opioid use disorder with lifesaving resources, treatment and ongoing care. Goldendale Pharmacy owner Jacqueline Eide, PharmD, also works with the University of Washington to initiate and manage patients on buprenorphine, providing another pathway to medication treatment when it is needed.

The kiosks are part of SWACH’s rural opioid response work supported through HRSA funding. SWACH is also working alongside Klickitat Valley Health, Klickitat County Public Health, One Community Health and Goldendale Pharmacy to strengthen referrals, care coordination and access to treatment across Klickitat County.

“We’re grateful for these community partnerships and excited to continue expanding access to harm reduction and treatment resources in rural communities,” Richardson said.

SWACH is currently looking for two additional rural locations in Klickitat and Skamania counties to host Narcan kiosks and further expand access to overdose prevention resources.