title: Injection drug users report good access to pharmacy sale of syringes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine injection drug users (IDUs) opinions and behavior regarding purchase of sterile syringes from pharmacies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban and rural sites in Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Missouri.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight focus groups, with 4 to 15 IDU participants per group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transcripts of focus group discussions were evaluated for common themes by the authors and through the use of the software program NUD*IST.
  
  
  METHODS
  Knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), pharmacy use, barriers to access from pharmacies, high-risk and risk-reducing behavior, and rural/urban difference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all participants knew the importance of using sterile syringes for disease prevention and reported buying syringes from pharmacies more than from any other source. Two IDUs believed pharmacists knew the syringes were being used for injecting drugs and perceived pharmacists' sales of syringes to be an attempt to contribute to HIV prevention. Most IDUs reported that sterile syringes were relativity easy to buy from pharmacies, but most also reported barriers to access, such as having to buy in packs of 50 or 100, being made to sign a book, having to make up a story about being diabetic, or having the feeling that the pharmacists were demeaning them. While the majority of IDUs reported properly cleaning or not sharing syringes and safely disposing of them, others reported inadequate cleaning of syringes and instances of sharing syringes or of improper disposal. There were few differences in IDUs' reported ability to buy syringes among states or between urban and rural sites, although the data suggest that IDUs could buy syringes more easily in the urban settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the most part, participants understood the need for sterile syringes in order to protect themselves from HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus and saw pharmacies as the best source of sterile syringes. Although these data are not generalizable, they suggest that pharmacists can and do serve as HIV-prevention service providers in their communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. wendyr@twins.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.forename: Wilson M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Compton
authors.forename: Joeseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Linda B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Cottler
authors.forename: Renee M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cunningham-Williams
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: Merrill
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leukefeld
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Tom J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Stopka
authors.forename: Karen Fortuin
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.forename: Michelle Staton
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tindall
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008923:Missouri; D010594:Pharmacies; D010595:Pharmacists; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous; D013594:Syringes / Q000600:supply & distribution*