A new study shows pharmacy staff do not receive adequate training to give injecting drug users (IDU) information about health testing and addiction treatment services.
The research, published in Drug and Alcohol Review, revealed IDU who exclusively went to pharmacies to obtain injecting equipment were more likely to have never received treatment for their drug use and were less likely to have had recent testing for blood-borne viruses than users who only went to needle and syringe programs (NSPs).
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The authors of the study, carried out in south-east Sydney, also found IDU who only went to pharmacies and those who used pharmacies and NSPs to get needles were more likely to report receptive syringe-sharing and sharing of ancillary injecting equipment compared with exclusive NSP users.
“Exclusive users of pharmacies were more likely to have never received treatment for their drug use and the least likely to have had a recent HCV test, suggesting that they are more disengaged from important health services than other IDU.
“These differences may relate to the way that pharmacy staff do not receive the same extensive and ongoing training as NSP staff, which is aimed at increasing the harm reduction knowledge of IDU and ensuring they have appropriate referral to testing and treatment services.
“This means that IDU who exclusively use pharmacies may be less exposed to information about where and how to access testing and/or treatment services, and that pharmacy staff may not know how to appropriately refer clients if they are asked for this information,” they said.
Of the 374 people involved in the study more than half used both pharmacies and NSPs, however just 17 per cent reported going to pharmacies exclusively.
The study found IDU who used pharmacies as their source of equipment did so because they felt they were less likely to be under police surveillance.
