Services Database Pharmacy Needle & Syringe Programme

Aims and Intended Service Outcomes

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

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 including those of safe sex

· by providing information on overdose prevention including risks of poly-drug use

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.

To help service users access treatment by offering referral to East and West Kent specialist adult substance misuse services (The Forward Trust & CGL) and other health or social care professionals where appropriate.

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

To help service users access other health and social care providers acting as a gateway to other primary care services.

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

To promote the provision and access to Hepatitis immunization and HIV screening services

The service provider will ensure that all practitioners and staff engaged in the delivery of this service are competent to do so. As a minimum, practitioners and staff will:

• It is a requirement for pharmacies signing up to this agreement to GPhC standards and should be aware of national guidelines and legalities regarding drug misusers and needle exchange services (NICE www.nice.org.uk, GPhC https://www.pharmacyregulation.org./standards-for-pharmacy-prfessionals)
• The pharmacist or suitable member of staff will attend training and accreditation events organised by The Forward Trust and/or CGL.
• At least one representative from the pharmacy will be required to attend an annual training event provided by The Forward Trust or CGL.
• For the needle exchange services the accredited pharmacist must have completed the CPPE DOC for Needle and syringe programme (NSP) and must keep this up to date in line with CPPE recommendations
• A declaration of competence will need to be confirmed on dedicated IT system 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.
• The Forward Trust and CGL will aim to arrange at least one contractor meeting per year with the Local Pharmacy Committee (LPC) to promote service development and update the knowledge of the named pharmacist or suitable member of staff.
• Practitioners and staff must meet these minimum requirements within three months of joining the service, and this will need to be confirmed on dedicated IT system 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.