Services Database Needle and Syringe Provision (Bristol Area)

The aims of this service are to:

• assist the service users to remain healthy;
• contribute to improvements in public health and health protection, and reduce the rate of blood-borne infections and drug related deaths among service users by:
  -      reducing the rate of sharing and other high risk injecting behaviours;
  -      providing sterile injecting equipment and other support;
  -      promoting safer injecting practices; and
  -      providing and reinforcing harm reduction messages including safer sex advice and advice on overdose prevention (e.g. risks of poly-drug use and alcohol use);
• improve the health of local communities by preventing the spread of blood-borne infections by providing facilities for safe disposal of used injecting equipment;
• help service users access treatment by offering referral to specialist drug and alcohol treatment services;
• help service users access appropriate health and social care and to act as a gateway to other services, for example, hepatitis B immunisation, hepatitis and HIV screening, assessment of  need, opiate substitution therapy and key working.

No formal training is required; however, pharmacists and staff involved in the provision of the service should have relevant knowledge and be appropriately trained in the operation of the service. There is a CPPE open learning programme on 'substance use and misuse' and attendance at locally organised best practice meetings may also provide support for pharmacy contractors who are operating the service.