When it comes to health products, buying them at stores can be expensive. For this reason, some students can’t afford certain health products like medicine or contraceptives.
However, the University Health Center is aiming to assist in providing access to these products. A “Wellness On the Go” vending machine is now available in the Student Center and aims to provide low-cost and free health products to anyone in need. The Health Center is also planning on implementing more vending machines later.
The vending machine contains multiple health care items, such as over-the-counter medication, pregnancy tests, contraceptives, hygiene products and more. Nurse Rebecca Harper, in collaboration with Dean of Student Affairs Keith Paylo, has been brainstorming the idea of these vending machines for the last two years.
To fund the machines, they applied for a $10,000 grant from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.
“Their grant is to increase access to pregnancy tests and preventative care and maternal care,” Harper said. “If a student needs any products while I am not in the health center, then the machines will be able to provide them 24/7.”
The vending machines offer the same products that you can obtain in the health center for free and other things like medicine and hygiene items for a low cost. They won’t be able to provide major health items like inhalers or epipens, but they can still provide basic needs like cold and allergy medications.
“I’m really excited about it,” said senior Drew Williams. “I’ve walked into the health center with a headache and without having any time to go elsewhere for Tylenol or Advil.”
Williams said the machines will definitely be helpful in the university moving forward and that he plans on utilizing them at some point.
The machine offers generic brands and hot button items, mostly based on Harper’s recommendations.
“I just went for the things that I recommend the most – things that I am constantly saying to students to get from CVS,” Harper said. “There are a couple of brand-name items just because you want that brand-name item, but otherwise I stuck to generics, and this generic is a brand that I trust.”
At the CVS on Fifth Avenue, a bag of Halls cough drops costs six to seven dollars. At the Wellness on the Go vending machine, that same bag costs $5.50.
“I really like the idea of [the vending machine] because nowadays, personal hygiene items are becoming more expensive and harder to access, especially feminine hygiene products,” sophomore Alex Olszewski said. “I really like the concept of it and hope to see it flourish in more areas than just this.”
Harper said that she hopes to implement more machines on campus in the future.
“There is only one live right now since the other is busted, but once that gets fixed, it’ll be outside of the Pioneer Pantry in [Thayer], so there will be one on this side of the boulevard and one on the other side,” Harper said.
Harper is also thinking about locations in Lawrence Hall, Boulevard Apartments and the University Center for more vending machines.
