Pharmacy-based needle exchange (PBNX) schemes in south east England: a survey of service providers.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the activities of service providers with regard to (i) the business operation and policies defining pharmacy-based needle exchange (PBNX) in South East England; (ii) the day-to-day work of PBNX outlets from the provider perspective; and (iii) problems encountered by PBNX providers.


METHODS
(i) Postal self-completion questionnaire to all participating PBNX community pharmacies in South East England; and (ii) postal self-completion questionnaire to needle exchange coordinators.


METHODS
Community pharmacy needle exchanges.


METHODS
Pharmacists in charge of needle exchange; and needle exchange coordinators.


RESULTS
Data were collected (i) from 381/440 (86.7%) participating community pharmacists, and (ii) 32/36 (88.9%) of coordinators. The study found that PBNX was reaching injecting drug users (many of whom used PBNX regularly), and providing a wide range of injecting equipment. Although pharmacists reported that problems such as shoplifting occurred relatively frequently, more serious problems such as violence were relatively rare. However, PBNX pharmacists reported needing further training for themselves and their staff. Suggested improvements included better advertising of services and improving returns rates for used injecting equipment.


CONCLUSIONS
Needle exchange can reasonably be provided by non-specialist health care professionals such as community pharmacists. However, attention should to be paid to the educational needs of service providers who also require adequate support.
Sheridan
J
J
National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry (Kings College London)/South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, UK. j.sheridan@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Lovell
S
S
Turnbull
P
P
Parsons
J
J
Stimson
G
G
Strang
J
J
D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D006801:Humans; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013800:Theft / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016526:Workload