The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44930

Crystal Fuller, PhD¹, Sandro Galea, MD, MPH¹, Ann Boyer, MD², Eric Canales³, Ely Fontanez⁴, Laurell Lasenberg⁵, Gail Love⁶, Clarisse Miller¹, Ann-Gel Palermo⁷, and David Vlahov, PhD¹. (1) Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, 212.987.5674, cfuller@nyam.org, (2) Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 Gustav Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, (3) CUES, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, (4) East Harlem HIV Care Network, 158 East 115th Street Room 218, New York, NY 10029, (5) New York Urban League, 204 W 136th Street, New York, NY 10037, (6) Women's Information Network, 1780 1st Avenue Apt 5A, New York, NY 10128, (7) Institute for Medicare Practice, 1200 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2a, Box 1062, New York, NY 10029

The New York State Expanded Syringe Access Demonstration Program (ESAP), put into effect on January 1, 2001, permits the purchase of syringes through pharmacies without requiring a prescription. The program is intended to increase drug user (DU) access to sterile syringes and decrease transmission of infectious diseases. Early data on the implementation of ESAP suggests that pharmacy non-prescription syringe sales are low and that only a minority of DUs is actually aware of ESAP or using pharmacies as a syringe source. A subcommittee of the New York Urban Research Center's Community Action Board developed, and is implementing, a community-based intervention trial in East Harlem to create a more receptive social environment to ESAP and to increase DUs' and pharmacists' involvement in the program. This group of researchers, service providers, and community members is currently formulating interventions. These interventions (in English and Spanish) include: (i) increasing awareness of ESAP among DUs through a drug user Survival Guide and outreach worker networks; (ii) direct outreach to pharmacists to identify, and decrease, structural barriers to IDU access to pharmacies, and a continuing medical education conference about ESAP, drug use, and other harm and risk reduction strategies for pharmacists and pharmacy clerks; and (iii) dissemination of information about ESAP through key community leaders and organizations, and direct community education using local media sources. Pre- and post-intervention evaluation of attitudes and behaviors among DUs, pharmacists, and members of the community will be conducted in East Harlem and in the control community of the South Bronx.

Learning Objectives:

• To discuss barriers to implementation of a pharmacy-based syringe access program.
• To design multi-level interventions that address barriers to access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.