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Glasgow Involvement Group

Glasgow Involvement Group. Views from injecting drugs users in Glasgow Pathways to Treatment and Care Conference Stirling Royal Infirmary 30 th September 2004. Study Background. Catchment Group Existing Users of Needle Exchanges Previous Users of Needle Exchanges

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Glasgow Involvement Group

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  1. Glasgow Involvement Group Views from injecting drugs users in Glasgow Pathways to Treatment and Care Conference Stirling Royal Infirmary 30th September 2004

  2. Study Background • Catchment Group • Existing Users of Needle Exchanges • Previous Users of Needle Exchanges • IDUs who have never used Needles Exchanges • Methods • Structured Outreach Interviews • Self Completion Survey • Focus Groups

  3. Sample Profile • Sample size was N= 76 • 76% were male • Average age was 33 • Majority (52%) didn’t have own accommodation • The main sources of income in the preceding six months were • Unemployed with regular income from Government (81%) • Illegal Activities (47%)

  4. Current Drug Use Illicit Drug Use • All using heroin • The next most commonly illicitly obtained drugs are • Valium (68%) • Cocaine (39%) • Cannabis (37%) • Crack (14%) • DFs (12%)

  5. Current Drug Use Prescribed • 47 (62%) werebeing prescribed substitute drugs • All prescribed methadone with 25% prescribed more than one drug. • Majority prescribed methadone was between 60 and 120 mls – range from 18-160 mls

  6. Risk Behaviour Injecting • Only one person was not currently injecting heroin • 49 [65%] of those injecting heroin originally smoked it • 22 [45%] of those who initially smoked, moved to injecting within 6 months • 48% were injecting at least twice a day • 27 out of 30 [90%] using cocaine were injecting it • Most common reason for injecting was peer pressure (33%) • Three quarters stated that it was a “spur of the moment” when first injected • Only four (5%) said that they had ever been shown how to safely inject but 64% would access safer injecting training if available

  7. Risk Behaviour Sharing • Needles/Syringes • 70% [n=52] had shared needles/syringes • 34% of these had shared in the previous 3 months • Injecting Paraphernalia • 87% [n=65] had shared paraphernalia • 68% of these had shared in previous 3 months

  8. Blood Borne Viruses • Information • Types of information - leaflets, advice from a worker and a booklet • 47% had been given information • Information Rating 25% good to very good 56% OK 19% poor to very poor • Tests: • HIV – 58% (0) tested positive • Hep B – 54% (2) tested positive • Hep C – 67% (26) tested positive

  9. Blood Borne Viruses • Knowledge Transmission Routes • Needle risk – 97% easy to catch HIV/Hep C from “dirty needles” • Injecting Paraphernalia risk • HIV - 40% [no risk, not easy, don’t know] • Hep C - 15% [no risk, not easy, don’t know]

  10. Needle ExchangeAccessibility • 50% were using pharmacy needle exchanges but the most common needle exchange used was GDCC (37%) • 82% stated that opening hours were suitable and only 2 people saw opening hours as barrier to accessing NXs • 56% of those who expressed a view believed there were sufficient places to get clean equipment.

  11. Needle ExchangeQuality of Service • Information Provision • “Very Poor” was the most common response to rating the information provided by NX • Staff Attitudes • Positive response with 46% rating the staff’s attitude as good or very good • 10% of responses poor or very poor. • Privacy/Confidentiality/Safety • Majority (65%) stated that there was sufficient privacy at NX • 76% believe that the information provided is treated in confidence • 20% had concerns about their safety when attending NX

  12. Needle Exchange • Return Policy • 76% say that they always return used needed/syringes • Over half the sample [51%] stated the return policy is a good policy • Barriers to Needle Exchanges • 29% stated that there were no barriers • The four most common barriers were: • Privacy (30%) • Police (20%) • Stigma (17%) • Fear of losing script (16%)

  13. Needle Exchange • Service Improvement 5 most frequently identified items that the respondents would like to be provided with are: • Sterile Injecting Equipment (59%) • Acidifiers (41%) • Access to Community Rehabilitation (37%) • Spoons (34%) • Injectable Drugs (34%)

  14. Training • 63% would like safer injection training • 50% would like first aid training • 79% would like overdose training

  15. Pharmacy NX / Addiction Service NX • Rating of service • Staff attitudes • Privacy • Safety • Rating information provision • Injecting Techniques • Physical Health needs • Sexual Health Needs • Abscesses/Wound advice • General Drug Information Addiction Service NX rated more positively on all topics bar safety

  16. Pharmacy NX / Addiction Service NX • BBV Information • Pharmacy - 82% positively rated • Addiction Service - 78% positively rated

  17. Prescribed V Non Prescribed Impact on risk behaviour& injecting practises • Prescribed • 76% sharing needles • 91% sharing paraphernalia • 54% shared needles in last month • Non prescribed • 59% sharing needles • 79% sharing paraphernalia • 29% shared needles in last month

  18. Conclusions • Information Provision needs to be improved • Issues still around lack of knowledge re BBVs and high risk injecting practises • NXs need to play a more prominent role in reducing harm associated with drug injecting • More training needed on safer injecting /fatal overdose provision • Better screening and case management is required for those on substitute prescribing programmes • For this group of drug users, the Substitute Prescribing Programmes may not be achieving its key treatment objectives

  19. Full report due December www.sdf.org.uk

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