Services Database Needle Exchange (Northamptonshire Area)

Aims and intended service outcomes.

4.1 To assist the service users to remain healthy until they are ready and willing to cease injecting and ultimately achieve a drug-free life with appropriate support.

4.2 To protect health 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;
• by providing sterile injecting equipment and other support;
• by promoting safer injecting practices; and
• by providing and reinforcing harm reduction messages.

4.3 To improve the health of local communities by preventing the spread of blood-borne infections by providing a safe and effective route for the disposal of used injecting equipment.

4.4 To help service users access treatment by offering referral to CGL adult substance misuse services and health and social care professionals where appropriate.

4.5 To aim to maximise the access and retention of all injectors, especially the highly socially excluded.

4.6 To help service users access other health and social care and to act as a gateway to other services.

4.7 To reduce the number of drug-related deaths associated with opioid overdose.

13.1 All pharmacists will be required to complete the CPPE Declaration of Competence for Needle Exchange Programme, Substance use and misuse and Substance use and misuse: Anabolic steroids.

13.2 The declaration will need to be confirmed on LINKSPHARMACY via enrolment. There will be a three-month grace period from the start of the service; after this if not completed you will not be able to access the services.

13.3 The local Change Grow Live service will provide training to commissioned pharmacies on appropriate topics as part of their quarterly meeting, alongside sharing information on incidents, resolving queries, and exploring ideas for improvements to the service. Attendance at the quarterly meetings is recommended as part of service delivery.

13.4 Refresher training must be undertaken, and evidence provided of completion every 3 years.

13.5 The NSP supplier will provide product-specific training and regular training updates, coordinated by the National Harm Reduction Lead. This training will be provided in on-demand recorded or online formats.