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MassDOT launches Narcan pilot program to reduce opioid overdoses
The Mass. Department of Transportation has launched a new Naloxone pilot program, starting with two locations in Boston and one in Springfield.
Naloxone will soon be available at select Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) facilities as part of a new state initiative to address the opioid crisis.
The program, formally known as the Narcan Public Access Pilot Program, will launch at two Registry of Motor Vehicle (RMV) locations, including Haymarket in Boston and Springfield, and at MassDOT’s headquarters at 10 Park Plaza in Boston, according to a statement from Governor Maura Healey.
“We know that naloxone saves lives,” Healey said. “This is an important step by MassDOT to expand access to this lifesaving medication, which will enhance public health and public safety.”
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More than 2,000 deaths in Massachusetts were linked to opioid overdoses in 2023, according to data from the Department of Health. The statement cites the program’s primary goals as improving public safety, integrating harm reduction strategies, and bolstering emergency response capabilities.
The pilot program also provides staff training at the facilities on how to recognize and respond to opioid overdoses, according to the statement. Staff members who have been trained include security guards at all three pilot locations and RMV employees who volunteered to receive the training, the statement said.
The program’s launch follows a similar program from July 2024 known as the Public Access Naloxone Pilot, which made the medication readily available from cabinets at five MBTA stations along the Red Line.
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“This pilot program will help to ensure that naloxone is available, and that staff is prepared to respond in the case of an emergency,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We will all be safer because of this investment.”
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