Characteristics and attendance patterns of a fixed-site NSP and nearby SVM: The benefits of 24-hour access to sterile injecting equipment

Abstract

Aims: This article describes the characteristics and attendance patterns of clients of a co-located fixed-site needle and syringe program (NSP) and syringe vending machine (SVM) to assess the utilisation and benefits of providing access to multiple distribution services. Methods: Data were collected through cross-sectional surveys with a convenience sample of NSP (n = 98) and SVM (n = 91) recruited attendees in Sydney, Australia. Surveys collected demographic data, self-reported injecting patterns, self-reported receptive equipment sharing, knowledge of hepatitis C and utilisation of the fixed-site NSP and SVM services. Findings: The demographic profile and characteristics of these NSP and SVM groups were similar; no differences were evident in knowledge about hepatitis C risk practices or type of drug used, frequency of injecting, sharing of injecting equipment and place of injecting. Both fixed-site NSP- and SVM-recruited attendees primarily accessed equipment from the fixed-site NSP in the last month. The SVM was usually accessed outside the opening hours of the fixed-site NSP, between 8 pm and 4 am, or in circumstances where equipment could not be obtained from the NSP. Conclusions: Findings support the argument that SVMs act as a complementary service alongside fixed-site NSP services and indicate that providing 24-h access to syringes through multiple mechanisms has benefits for provision of sterile equipment to people who inject drugs.

• Australia
• drug injection
• drug services
• hepatitis c virus
• needle-exchange programs
• harm reduction

Acknowledgements

We thank the staff at the NSW Users’ and AIDS Association (NUAA) for their assistance in recruitment and data collection, and for their feedback throughout this research. We also thank all the study participants for their time and contribution.