Services Database Sussex Needle Exchange service
Service ID
18745
Description
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.
• By providing and reinforcing harm reduction messages.
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.
Provide signposting to adult substance misuse services and health and 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 and to act as a gateway to other
services.
To reduce the number of drug-related deaths associated with opioid overdose.
Location of service
Sussex LPC
Commissioner
Local Authority (LA)
Method of commissioning
Local Authority contract
Source of funding
Local Authority (LA)
Service type
Needle & syringe programme
Other organisations involved
Dates
Start date:
End date:
Status
Ongoing
Training
To ensure, on a 3 yearly basis, that the lead/regular pharmacist overseeing the service has
successfully completed:
• CPPE Substance Use and Misuse (pharmacist version) and the associated
Declaration of Competence
• CPPE e-learning module Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults and the
associated e-assessment.
• For regular locums or relief pharmacists, it is the responsibility of the chief
pharmacist to ensure that SOP compliance is adhered to. Should the locum or relief require further training or support the Contract Manager should be contacted as soon as practically possible.
All pharmacists will be required to complete the CPPE Declaration of Competence for
Needle Exchange Programme. It is recommended that all registered pharmacy technicians
complete the same declaration.
The declaration training and reading and signing the SOP will need to be confirmed on
PharmOutcomes 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.
A representative from the pharmacy may be required to attend an annual training event.
