What is the Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse?
• The Harm Reduction Clearinghouse is one project of the Save Lives Oregon initiative, which is focused on increasing equitable access to harm reduction information, education, technical assistance, and supplies to communities experiencing high overdose rates.
• The Harm Reduction Clearinghouse provides no-cost supplies such as life-saving naloxone, infection prevention and wound care kits to agencies that directly distribute them to people at risk of overdose and infections related to substance use.
• Organizations that receive supplies through the Harm Reduction Clearinghouse directly distribute supplies to people who are at risk of overdose or people currently using drugs. Participating organizations include health clinics, community-based organizations, Tribal service providers, county public health agencies, EMS, firefighters, sheriffs, police, jails, prisons, and parole and probation officers.
• Through the State’s Division of Administrative Services bulk purchasing agreement with a national group purchasing organization for governments, the Harm Reduction Clearinghouse purchases harm reduction supplies, such as naloxone, at a lower price.
Number of organizations ordering supplies through the Harm Reduction Clearinghouse: 212
92 Community Based Organization/
Tribally Based Program
46 Uniformed Responders/Law
Enforcement
19 Substance use disorder facilities
41 Syringe Service Program / Harm
Reduction Programs
14 Health Clinics / Emergency Room
“We have prevented numerous overdose deaths since using this program.”
“(The Harm Reduction Clearinghouse) has been a game changer for our org because we are able to hand out life-saving medication almost daily to community."
Impact
• Since the beginning of the Save Lives Oregon initiative in 2020, more than 5,000 bystander (opioid) overdose reversals were reported to the community organizations participating in the initiative.
• In 2022, the Harm Reduction Clearinghouse distributed more than 195,000 doses of naloxone to 186 organizations across the state at no cost to the organizations.
• In a January, 2023 survey of Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse participants, 65% of respondents said their organizations did not order naloxone or other harm reduction supplies prior to ordering through the Harm Reduction Clearinghouse because they did not have funding to do so or did not have a licensed prescriber to sign to order naloxone.
Supplies provided by the Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse in 2022
Broad spending categories
Naloxone: 90%
Sterile syringes: 6.2%
Wound Care Supplies: 2.4%
Sharps containers: 1.4%
"It has been essential for CCC to be able to provide life-saving medication to those struggling and impacted by opioid use. Without the (Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction) Clearinghouse, we would not be able to support nearly the amount of people who are at risk of overdose, or to be able to provide needed medications to our staff to be able to respond in crisis when they discover someone who has overdosed. This service has helped CCC to be a part of a needed solution for our opiate crisis in Portland.”
- Drew Grabham, Central City Concern
