Syringe Services

Synonyms
Syringe exchange
needle exchange
SEP
NEP
SSP
syringe service program
harm reduction

A Toolkit for Building Effective Community Advisory Boards: Syringe Service Programs

This is a resource for harm reduction programs and communities looking to establish new community advisory boards (CABs) or improve upon existing ones. Syringe Services Program Community Advisory Boards: A Framework offers structured recommendations to develop, convene, and sustain effective syringe service program CABs.
Posted Date
03/11/24

First 2 Months of Operation at First Publicly Recognized Overdose Prevention Centers in U.S.

In New York City (NYC), there were 2062 overdose fatalities in 2020, the deadliest year on record for NYC and the US. Fentanyl and its analogs were the most common substances involved in overdose deaths in NYC, present in 77% of such deaths in 2020. A characteristic of fentanyl-involved overdose is rapid onset of overdose symptoms; however, with timely administration of oxygen or naloxone, deaths can be averted. 
Posted Date
07/25/22

Care Navigation at Harm Reduction Programs: Community-Based “Meds First” Buprenorphine Program Preliminary Data

In 2019, the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute (ADAI) at the University of Washington launched the “Meds First” program to provide onsite, low-barrier access to buprenorphine in partnership with six syringe services programs across WA State. A key component of the Meds First service model was the addition of care navigation to support client engagement and retention in OUD treatment.
Posted Date
07/25/22

Syringe Services Programs: Summary of State Laws

Syringe services programs (SSP) are harm reduction programs that provide a wide range of services including, but not typically limited to, the provision of new, unused hypodermic needles and syringes and other injection drug use supplies, such as cookers, tourniquets, alcohol wipes, and sharps waste disposal containers, to people who inject drugs. In this summary, readers will find information with respect to SSPs for each state, including citations to applicable statutes and/or regulations, whether the state allows SSPs by statute, whether there are any municipal or county ordinances or regulations in place within the state, program components, miscellaneous provisions, and information on any pending legislation.
Posted Date
07/12/22

A Primer for Implementation of Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution in Jails and Prisons

Over the past 20 years, drug overdose deaths have increased dramatically in the United States. Most of these deaths involved opioids, including prescription pain medications, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. These are called opioid-related overdoses and often occur as a result of respiratory depression caused by opioids, even when other medications and drugs are involved.
Posted Date
03/23/22

Infective Endocarditis

Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening inflammation of the heart’s chambers and valves that can be difficult and expensive to treat. Like hepatitis and HIV, infective endocarditis can be caused by using needles that are not sterile. This infographic highlights basic information about infective endocarditis alongside an anatomical image of a human heart.
Posted Date
03/22/22

Implementation and first-year operating costs of an academic medical center-based syringe services program

Syringe services programs (SSPs) remain highly effective, cost-saving interventions for the prevention of blood-borne infections among people who inject drugs. However, there have been restrictions regarding financial resources allocated to these programs, particularly in the US South. This study aimed to provide cost data regarding the implementation and first-year operations of an academic-based SSP utilizing fixed and mobile strategies, including the integration of onsite wound care.
Posted Date
03/21/22

Recommendations for Federal Partners and Health Departments Navigating Naloxone Supply

In spring 2021, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors notified syringe services programs (SSPs) and partners that there would be significant interruptions in the supply of injectable/intramuscular (IM) naloxone. Currently, production and distribution delays are expected to last until fall 2021. This will specifically affect SSPs because IM naloxone is the most affordable formulation, and therefore is most commonly utilized by programs that distribute large volumes of naloxone to reduce fatal overdose rates. 
Posted Date
08/19/21

Racial Differences in Acquisition of Syringes From Pharmacies Under Conditions of Legal but Restricted Sales

Background: Injecting drug users (IDUs) are at increased risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV and other bloodborne pathogens through the multi-person use of syringes. Although research has shown that increased access to syringes through syringe exchange programs (SEPs) is an effective strategy to reduce risky injection practices many areas of the United States still do not have SEPs. In the absence of SEPs, legislation allowing pharmacies over-the-counter sales of syringes has also been shown to reduce syringe sharing. The success of pharmacy sales however is limited by other legal stipulations, such as drug paraphernalia laws, which in turn may contribute to fear among IDUs about being caught purchasing and carrying syringes.
Posted Date
07/07/21