Naloxone and emergency contraceptives health vending machines across residential and nonresidential university locations (October 2025–April 2026): an observational study

Background:Health vending machines are an emerging strategy to improve access to naloxone, emergency contraceptives, and other health products in university settings. However, there are limited data that compare utilization across multiple vending machines to guide ideal placement.Methods:This observational study evaluated the monthly mean and total items dispensed from health vending machines located in two nonresidential buildings and one residential dormitory, from October 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026.Results:The health vending machine located in the residential dormitory, Akers Hall, demonstrated the greatest utilization, with 1,083 total items dispensed compared to 319 and 366 items at the nonresidential sites—Multicultural Center and Union Building—respectively. Naloxone, emergency contraceptives, and pregnancy tests were the most dispensed products across all sites.Conclusion:Although the residential location, Akers Hall, showed higher utilization, multiple site-specific characteristics may contribute to the observed difference, highlighting the importance of strategic site selection in health vending machine implementation.