Qualitative study assesses views on public health vending machine impact on health supplies in American Indian reservations, suggesting increased accessibility and reduced stigma.
Public health vending machines (PHVMs) are a recent innovation in the delivery of health promoting supplies in the United States (US). However, there are significant gaps in our understanding of their potential impacts on American Indian reservations. This study explores perspectives about PHVM implementation through semi-structured interviews among a sample of persons (N = 12) who used a PHVM on an American Indian reservation. Participants were asked to describe their perceptions about the PHVMs, including how they affected infectious disease and overdose prevention. Participants reported that PHVMs enhanced access to a variety of health-promoting supplies (e.g., HIV tests, sterile injection equipment, naloxone). Participants explained that the PHVMs offered HIV and overdose prevention supplies in a low-threshold manner that minimized stigma. Future work should explore associations between PHVM implementation and shifts in infectious disease transmission and overdose morbidity and mortality on American Indian reservation lands.
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Allen et al. (2026) studied this question.
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