Services Database Pharmacy Needle Exchange Service (Nottingham City Area)

Aims of Service 
The Pharmacy Needle Exchange Service will contribute towards building a healthier, safer,
cleaner city by:

• Reducing the transmission and prevalence of blood-borne viruses and bacterial
  infections caused by sharing injecting equipment;
• Increasing the proportion of used injecting equipment that is safely disposed, in
  order to reduce drug related litter, and;
• Lessening harms associated with injecting drug use by providing service users with
  opportunistic education, advice and access to other health and welfare services.

Models
The Provider will have the option to apply for one of two schemes, as follows:

Level 1 – the Provider will deliver all essential elements of the service above by
providing a range of injecting equipment in pre-approved packs (see section
6). The Provider of this model will be required to have storage facilities for large
boxes and space for a small number of each pack within the designated needle
exchange area.

Level 2 – the Provider will deliver all essential elements of the service above in providing
a range of pre-approved injecting equipment and related paraphernalia in a
‘pick and mix’ format. “pick and mix” is the model to describe the dispensing of
individual items of injecting equipment, instead of pre-packaged equipment.
The Provider of this model will be responsible for having a more in-depth
knowledge and understanding of injecting and the equipment and will be able
to provide information and advice to Service Users.
The Provider of this model must have space for the full range of individual
injecting equipment within the designated needle exchange area, as well as
space for boxes of equipment.

Before a new pharmacy needle exchange service is established, the CDP will visit the pharmacy together with the pharmacy lead from the specialist needle exchange service for an on-site briefing and make necessary arrangements for the contract to be read and signed.

The pharmacist is encouraged to order and complete the latest CPPE courses relating to needle and syringe exchange as soon as possible prior to signing up to this contract and to maintain their levels of training in line with any new courses or guidance as they become available.