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Pharmacy access to syringes to reduce injecting risk behaviour

Summary of the evidence

Rating
  • Beneficial

Pharmacy-based needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) were found in a systematic review with meta-analysis (Sawangjit et al., 2016, 14 observational studies, N= 7 035 PWID) to be effective in:

  • reducing risk behaviours among people who inject drugs when compared to those with no NSP available (OR = 0.50, 95 % CI = 0.34–0.73) and sensitivity analyses, excluding studies with a serious risk of bias (OR = 0.52, 95 % CI = 0.32–0.84).

Details

Note: this evidence summary is only valid for the outcomes, target groups, settings and substances/patterns of use described below.

Name of response option
  • Needle and syringe programmes (NSP)
Desired outcome(s)
  • reduce risk behaviours
Area(s)
  • Harm reduction
Specific substance or pattern of use
  • amphetamines
  • opioids
Target group(s) or setting(s)
  • PWID – people who inject drugs

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