Services Database Needle Exchange

All needle exchange providers will offer the following services:

• The distribution of a range of free, sterile needles and syringes;
• The safe disposal of used injecting equipment;
• Advice on safer injecting practices, e.g. risks of sharing or lending and borrowing injecting equipment, filters, spoons and water and safer injecting advice;
• Advice on the storage and handling of injecting equipment;
• Advice on risks of unsafe disposal of injecting equipment;
• Basic advice on overdose prevention and response;
• Advice on injecting specific drugs, e.g. stimulants, steroids, etc;
• Consistent service provider effort to maximise return of used injecting equipment;
• Periodic development of a range of harm reduction and health promotion campaigns;
• Information on the range of services provided by the needle exchange, other drug treatment services and other health and social care services;
• Referral to other services including drug treatment services; and
• Information on the reasons for providing injecting equipment, and the risks of unsafe sexual and injecting practices, e.g. local and systemic infections, including HIV, HBV & HCV, venous and arterial thrombosis, abscesses, damaged blood vessels, TB and endocarditis.

Not known.