FAQ's for 'Ville Wellness Vending Machine

The idea of bringing a health care product/wellness vending machine to campus stemmed from work initially conducted by the project team, Lauren Blevins and Susan Moyer, as part of the President’s Leadership Institute (PLI); a professional development program developed and directed by the university president. At Millersville University, Lauren Blevins is a Nurse Practitioner, and the Director of Health Services and Dr. Susan Moyer is the Assistant Chair and Associate Professor in the Wehrheim School of Nursing, and both have a passion for health promotion and a desire to support a culture of wellness on campus.

The healthcare product/wellness vending machine is co-sponsored by Millersville University's Health Services, Wehrheim School of Nursing (WSON), Center for Health Education and Promotion (CHEP), and the Pennsylvania State Employee Credit Union (PSECU) with additional support provided by a generous $10000 grant secured from the Jewish Healthcare Foundation’s (JHF) College and University Health Vending grant program. JHF is a fiscal agent for federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to improve maternal mortality and enhance prenatal care. Grant funds were specifically used to purchase the vending machine and to provide no-cost pregnancy tests, which are available in the machine aside other low-to-no-cost healthcare products.

The machine's main purpose is to provide students with convenient access to cost-effective reproductive and healthcare products, especially those that may be needed discreetly, urgently, or after-hours.  Additionally, it is expected the machine will enhance self-care and self-management of mild illnesses as a unique feature associated with each product is convenient access to health promotion and product education and campus and community resources.  

No, Millersville University is not the first university to have a healthcare product vending machine. Wellness vending machines are gaining popularity on college campuses and in public spaces across the country to provide convenient, cost-effective, and discreet access to a wide variety of healthcare products. Several organizations, including the American College Health Association (ACHA) encourage the implementation of wellness vending machines on campus as a means for supplying reproductive and healthcare products to college students (ACHA Guidelines, 2023). Wellness vending machines also provide a way to connect individuals with education and resources to facilitate self-care and more informed healthcare decisions. 

The healthcare product/wellness vending machine at Millersville is unique as it not only provides a variety of affordable and no-cost healthcare products, but it also provides access to health and product-specific education and campus and community resources curated from a professional nursing lens.  This education is available on a dedicated wellness vending website or by scanning the QR code on the vending machine and select healthcare products. The education provides a mix of product instructions and self-care strategies to enhance one’s self-management of their health and wellness. 

The healthcare product/wellness vending machine is located on the ground floor of the Student Memorial Center (SMC) near the Shenks Lane entrance.

The healthcare product/wellness vending machine is available and accessible during the Student Memorial Center’s (SMC) open hours. View SMC operation hours.

The healthcare product/wellness vending machine carries a variety of common health remedies (e.g., pain relievers and allergy remedies), sexual and reproductive health products (e.g., emergency contraception, condoms, and pregnancy tests), self-care supplies (e.g., eye drops and topical antibacterial ointment), and harm reduction measures (e.g., Narcan nasal spray).

View the full list of vending products on the Wellness Vending website.

The healthcare product/wellness vending machine products vary in cost. The core mission of this project is to provide affordable and accessible essential healthcare products directly to the campus community. This is achieved by setting vending prices below current market value and offering select items free of charge. Every dollar generated from sales is directly reinvested into restocking the machine and maintaining its operation, ensuring a perpetually sustainable source of low-cost care.

This vending machine is entirely cashless, accepting credit/debit cards and mobile payments (e.g., Apple Pay, Google Pay). Marauder Gold is not accepted. “Millersville University Wellness” will appear on your credit card statement.

If your item is not vended, your credit card will not be charged. Please contact Health Services at health.services@millersville.edu if you have any difficulty vending an item.

Due to safety precautions related to the storage and handling of products, we are unable to offer any returns or refunds. There will be no exception to this, so please be mindful when selecting products.

Medication and healthcare product education are available on the Wellness Vending website. Product education is accessible by scanning the QR code on the machine or as provided on specific medication and/or healthcare products. Additionally, within the product education, individuals can find information and links to campus and community resources associated with certain medications or products, also accessible by scanning the QR code. Health Services welcomes students to make appointments to see a healthcare provider for any health-related questions or concerns. Health Services can be reached by phone 717-871-5250 or by email at health.services@millersville.edu. Health Services is located in Lyle Hall, 2nd floor.

We welcome feedback on the machine and/or suggestions for additional healthcare products or supplies to stock in the machine. Please use the link below to provide anonymous feedback and/or future product suggestions. Please note that responses on the linked form are reviewed quarterly. If you have an urgent matter or have questions about the use of a specific product, please contact Health Services by phone 717-871-5250 or by email at health.services@millersville.edu.

Wellness Vending at the 'Ville Feedback Form