Uptake of wheel-filtration among clients of a supervised injecting facility: Can structured education work?
Wheel-filtration of pharmaceutical opioid tablets is a recognised harm reduction strategy, but uptake of the practice among people who inject drugs is low. The study aimed to: (i) examine perceptions of filtration practices; (ii) provide structured education on wheel-filtration; and (iii) assess uptake of the practice.



Frequent opioid tablet injectors (n = 30) attending a supervised injecting facility in Sydney, Australia, received hands-on instruction on wheel-filtration based on recommended practice. Pre-education, post-education and follow-up questionnaires were administered.



Wheel-filtration was generally regarded as better than cotton-filtration (the typical method) in terms of perceived effects on health, ease of use and overall drug effect. Sixty-eight percent of those who said they would try wheel-filtration after the education had actually done so. Of those who usually used cotton-filtration, over half (60%) had used wheel-filtration two weeks later.



Uptake of safer preparation methods for pharmaceutical opioid tablets increases after structured education in wheel-filtration. Findings suggest that SIFs are an effective site for this kind of education. Supervised injecting facility workers are uniquely positioned to provide harm reduction education at the time of injection. [Steele M, Silins E, Flaherty I, Hiley S, van Breda N, Jauncey M. Uptake of wheel-filtration among clients of a supervised injecting facility: Can structured education work? Drug Alcohol Rev 2018;37:116-120].
Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Maureen
M
Steele
Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.|National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
Edmund
E
Silins
Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Ian
I
Flaherty
Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Sarah
S
Hiley
Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Nick
N
van Breda
Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.
Marianne
M
Jauncey
D000328:Adult; D005374:Filtration; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous
filtration; harm reduction; intravenous; oxycodone; substance abuse; supervised injecting facility