Document 0598
 DOCN  M94A0598
 TI    Provision of needles and syringes to injecting drug users (IDU) from
       pharmacies in Victoria.
 DT    9412
 AU    Mathews G; Batchelor M; Carswell P; Marcon N; Department of Health and
       Community Services Public Health Branch,; Health Protection, AIDS/STD
       Unit, Melbourne, Victoria.
 SO    Annu Conf Australas Soc HIV Med. 1993 Oct 28-30;5:87 (poster no. 25).
       Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ASHM5/94349057
 AB    Both the Victorian Needle and Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP) and
       Pharmacy Program provide sterile injecting equipment to Injecting Drug
       Users (IDU). The broad aim of the program is to prevent the transmission
       of HIV amongst IDU and from IDU to the broader community. Although the
       NSEP has been successful in reaching a large number of IDU (70,871
       visits and 1,326,000 needles distributed in 1992) this program does not
       meet the needs of all IDU. Consequently the selling of needles and
       syringes in pharmacies to IDU ensures that more IDU have access to clean
       needles and syringes. In December 1991, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia
       (Victorian Branch) and the Department of Health and Community Services
       (DHCS) introduced a portable plastic container (Fitpack) for the sale of
       needles and syringes. These packs contain either 3, 5 or 10 needles and
       are sold in pharmacies throughout Victoria. The Fitpack provides a safe
       means of storage and disposal for needles and syringes. The sale of
       needles and syringes in Fitpacks represents a significant component of
       overall pharmacy sales (1,132,000 needles and syringes). Fitpack sales
       have increased steadily since the program's inception in 1991. Currently
       308,000 needles and syringes are sold annually in the form of a Fitpack.
       Monitoring of the Fitpack Program has enabled the DHCS to determine the
       number of pharmacists selling Fitpacks and to contrast sales patterns
       between metropolitan and country pharmacists.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/  TRANSMISSION
       Health Services Needs and Demand/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA  Human  HIV
       Infections/*PREVENTION & CONTROL/TRANSMISSION  Needle Sharing/*ADVERSE
       EFFECTS/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA  *Pharmaceutical Services/STATISTICS &
       NUMER DATA  Substance Abuse, Intravenous/COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/
       *REHABILITATION  *Syringes  Victoria/EPIDEMIOLOGY  MEETING ABSTRACT

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).