title: Would you consider prescribing syringes to injection drug users? Addiction Medicine Conference Survey.
abstract: In order to assess attitudes and practices of physicians regarding prescribing syringes to injection drug users (IDUs) to prevent disease transmission, a survey was conducted at the 2000 ASAM Conference. Of 497 physicians, 104 responded, representing 30 states and 3 countries. Seventy-eight percent provided care for IDUs. Only 2% had prescribed syringes to IDUs for safer injection of illegal drugs. Nineteen percent had prescribed syringes to diabetic patients whom they believed would use the syringes for injecting illegal drugs. Overall, 61% of physicians (74% of internists, 37% of psychiatrists) (p = 0.04) would consider prescribing syringes to IDUs. Prescribing syringes to IDUs can be part of a comprehensive approach to preventing spread of HIV and other infections, decreasing complications of syringe reuse, and bringing IDUs into medical and substance abuse treatment. The majority of physicians surveyed expressed interest in prescribing syringes. Psychiatrists may be less willing to do so.
authors.affiliation: The Miriam Hospital andBrown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
authors.forename: Lynn E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Valgerdur
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Runarsdottir
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zampi
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Osei
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macalino
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burris
authors.forename: J D Merik
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Reinert
authors.forename: Josiah D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010820:Physicians; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000628:therapy*; D013594:Syringes