Services Database Pharmacy Needle Exchange Scheme (City & Hackney)

Aims
The overall Service Objectives and Intended Health Outcomes of pharmacy NSP to drug users are:
a) To offer anonymous friendly, non-judgemental, confidential and user centred services.
b) To provide sterile injecting equipment to reduce the rate of sharing and other high risk
injecting behaviours. Adequate coverage is essential to achieve this (see later).
c) In doing so, reduce the dangers associated with drug use including the transmission risks of
HIV, hepatitis B&C, other blood-borne infections.
d) To help the service user to be healthy and reduce drug related health harms.
e) Assist the service users to remain healthy until they are ready, willing and able to cease
injecting and/or access specialist services and ultimately achieve a drug free life.
f) To provide information on harm reduction advice and initiatives and promote safer injecting
practices.
g) To facilitate access to relevant specialist and generalist primary care services.
h) To signpost people who inject drugs (PWID) to drug treatment services (for example, opioid
substitution therapy).
i) To act as a gateway/signpost to other services (e.g. Hepatitis B immunisation, Hepatitis C &
HIV screening).
j) Improve the health of local communities by preventing the spread of blood borne infections
facilitate and encourage the safe disposal of used injecting equipment.
k) Maximise the access and retention of all injectors, especially the highly socially excluded,
through flexible, low- threshold service delivery and targeted interventions, delivered in a
non-judgmental and caring way.

When joining the needle exchange scheme, all pharmacies are to receive an induction session on site. All pharmacy staff dealing with needle exchange clients are to be trained in the following:

• health and safety/ needle stick injury;
• safer injecting/ Blood Borne Virus; and
• how to deal with NEX clients and conflict.

Training will be provided by Lifeline Hackney and is mandatory for participating pharmacies. Training is to be arranged at a convenient location, date and time for Lifeline Hackney and pharmacies. Refresher training will take place at least once a year and training for new staff will be available as soon as is practicable for both parties.