Bridge Erie to Harm Reduction

Bridge Erie to Harm Reduction is a new learning collaborative designed to meet the evolving challenges of the drug and opioid epidemics. Replacing the Erie County Overdose Prevention Task Force after nearly a decade of service, this initiative represents a renewed commitment to saving lives and supporting communities.

This new model for collaboration and coordination will be driven by local and national data and trends. Bridge Erie to Harm Reduction will focus on reducing overdose risk, connecting people who use drugs to care, expanding public education, and building infrastructure across the continuum of prevention, treatment, and recovery. The program emphasizes equity and the inclusion of voices with lived and living experience.

Related Information and Resources

• Peer Navigation & Treatment Support
• Naloxone (Narcan) Access & Training
• Harm Reduction Resources
• Harm Reduction Data
• Cannabis
• Medication Disposal & Needle Access/Disposal
• Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) Program
• Harm Reduction Home Page

Contact

Phone: (716) 858-2958
Email: bridgeerietoharmreduction@erie.gov

Meetings and Presentations

Meetings are typically held online on the last Thursday of every month from 12pm-1:30pm (excluding holidays). 

For details on previous meetings, please visit the Bridge Erie Meeting Archive Page.

Upcoming Meetings

Learning Collaborative Erie County Naloxone Secret Shopper Study

Thursday, December 18, 2025 @ 12:00-1:30PM

To attend, please register here.

The Erie County Naloxone Secret Shopper Study, evaluated real-world naloxone access at 65 community pharmacies across the county. Using trained student investigators, the study assessed availability, OTC placement, staff communication, N-CAP understanding, counseling practices, and workflow challenges. The findings reveal critical communication and operational barriers that could limit equitable naloxone access, particularly in high-burden overdose ZIP codes, and offer a starting point to work on building actionable strategies to improve pharmacy-based naloxone distribution. As a result, the project provides a data-driven foundation for next-step collaborative Erie County/Pharmacy/University efforts, including education campaigns, N-CAP process clarification for pharmacies, and other support for independent pharmacies in underserved areas.