Letter to the Editors from the HCC

In the "Senate Beat" Quest article dated March 7 ("Senate Beat Addresses the Elephant in the Room"), there was incorrect information regarding harm reduction supplies available to Reed students through the HCC. We would like to provide some clarifications around the status of fentanyl test strips and Narcan. 

Firstly, fentanyl test strips are available, and will continue to be available, for free for all Reed students in the HCC lobby. We will also continue to offer them to students during our Harm Reduction outreach events. Students can access test strips anonymously by visiting the HCC lobby during our operational hours, Mondays through Fridays between 9:00am–12:00pm and 1:00pm–5:00pm.

Secondly, in the past, the HCC has been able to offer free Narcan to students who either attend a visit with an HCC medical provider to get trained on Narcan administration, or received Narcan training at one of our Harm Reduction events, due to a statewide grant. Reed no longer qualifies for this grant, and as of right now we have a limited amount of Narcan that we can give directly to students for free. We are still happy to help students access Narcan through their insurance. Students can also purchase Narcan over the counter at major pharmacies like Walgreens.

Thirdly, the emergency Narcan that is available in the white boxes in various buildings on campus is managed by Community Safety, not the HCC. It is a separate resource from the grant-funded Narcan that we have been providing for students. Community Safety will continue to stock the Overdose Kits on campus.

We hope that clarifies the status of Narcan and fentanyl testing strips on campus. Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Reed Health & Counseling Center Harm Reduction Committee

Kyle Malin, LPC, CADC I

Rachel Neuendorf, ND

Jenni Leatham, LPC, CRC, MAC

Katie Occhipinti, BSN, RN

Julie Steder, CMA