Community pharmacists, injecting drug misusers and the reduction of HIV transmission

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Abstract
The role of 268 community pharmacists in reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission by providing advice and injecting equipment to drug addicts was investigated. Postal questionnaires were issued to proprietors or managers of all (362) community pharmacies in two family health services authorities within the North West Thames regional health authority to determine their current activities concerning the reduction of HIV transmission between injecting drug misusers (IDMs). More than half of the pharmacists supplied injecting equipment to IDMs, most frequently as 1ml disposable insulin syringes. Eleven per cent of those pharmacies from which equipment was sold provided disposal facilities. More than half of those without disposal facilities failed to provide information regarding safe disposal when supplying injecting equipment. Virtually all the pharmacists surveyed did not supply accompanying health education literature when they sold injecting equipment