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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Stacey L. Hoferka, MPH¹, Susan Bailey², and Lawrence J. Ouellet, PhD². (1) Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 130 DeSoto St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, 708-837-3463, slh47@pitt.edu, (2) Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 West Taylor St, MC 923, Chicago, IL 60612

Background: Injection drug use is a primary mode of transmission for blood-borne infections. Illinois amended legislation in 2003 to permit the sale of syringes without a prescription.

Methods: A mail survey was sent to 600 pharmacies across Illinois. The study population was subdivided into four areas: Chicago, Suburban Chicagoland, high-risk areas downstate and the remainder of Illinois.

Results: The majority of respondents (95%) were aware of the revised legislation. Only half were willing to sell syringes without a prescription. Significant associations with pharmacists' unwillingness to sell syringes were a belief that selling syringes would increase drug use (OR 3.79; 95% C.I. 2.28-6.31) or not decrease syringe sharing (OR 3.08; 95% C.I. 1.62-5.87). Unwillingness was also associated with the belief that selling syringes to people who inject drugs was not important in preventing HIV and hepatitis C virus transmission (OR 6.96; 95% C.I. 2.92-16.56 and OR 6.95; 95% C.I. 2.92-16.54 respectively).

Fewer than 30% of pharmacists were willing to dispose of used syringes. Working for corporate compared to independent pharmacies (OR 2.40; 95% C.I.1.44-4.00) being female (OR 1.81; 95% C.I.1.05-3.09) and having a pharmacy license for less than 11 years compared to 11 years or longer (OR 2.81; 95% C.I. 1.53-5.16) was associated with increased unwillingness.

Conclusions: In addition to the removal of the legal barriers, pharmacists' opinions and practices may also need to be modified to provide wide spread access to clean syringes. Educational interventions that emphasize the public health benefits of such sales should be implemented.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify social and behavioral factors among pharmacists that are barriers to syringe sales to injection drug users.
• Evaluate pharmacy services in other regions for comparison of community services and outreach.
• Develop targeted educational interventions that can improve pharmacist participation in providing sterile syringes.

Keywords: Injecting Drug Use, Access and Services

Awards: Excellence in Abstract Submission among Student APHA Members and Winner of the HIV/AIDS Section Student Scholarship - Recipient

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation