TY - JOUR
T1 - Predicting pharmacy syringe sales to people who inject drugs
T2 - Policy, practice and perceptions
AU - Meyerson, Beth E.
AU - Davis, Alissa
AU - Agley, Jon D.
AU - Shannon, David J.
AU - Lawrence, Carrie A.
AU - Ryder, Priscilla T.
AU - Ritchie, Karleen
AU - Gassman, Ruth
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded in part with support from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute by Award Number UL1TR001108 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The project was also supported by a grant from the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Faculty Research Grant Award Program.
Funding Information:
This study was funded in part with support from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute by Award Number UL1TR001108 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The project was also supported by a grant from the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Faculty Research Grant Award Program.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Authors
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - Background: Pharmacies have much to contribute to the health of people who inject drugs (PWID) and to community efforts in HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) prevention through syringe access. However, little is known about what predicts pharmacy syringe sales without a prescription. Objective: To identify factors predicting pharmacy syringes sales to PWID. Methods: A hybrid staggered online survey of 298 Indiana community pharmacists occurred from July-September 2016 measuring pharmacy policy, practice, and pharmacist perceptions about syringe sales to PWID. Separate bivariate logistical regressions were followed by multivariable logistic regression to predict pharmacy syringe sales and pharmacist comfort dispensing syringes to PWID. Results: Half (50.5%) of Indiana pharmacies sold syringes without a prescription to PWID. Pharmacy syringe sales was strongly associated with pharmacist supportive beliefs about syringe access by PWID and their comfort level selling syringes to PWID. Notably, pharmacies located in communities with high rates of opioid overdose mortality were 56% less likely to sell syringes without a prescription than those in communities with lower rates. Pharmacist comfort dispensing syringes was associated with being male, working at a pharmacy that sold syringes to PWID and one that stocked naloxone, having been asked about syringe access by medical providers, and agreement that PWID should be able to buy syringes without a prescription. Conclusions: As communities with high rates of opioid overdose mortality were less likely to have pharmacies that dispensed syringes to PWID, a concerted effort with these communities and their pharmacies should be made to understand opportunities to increase syringe access. Future studies should explore nuances between theoretical support for syringe access by PWID without a prescription and actual dispensing behaviors. Addressing potential policy conflicts and offering continuing education on non-prescription syringe distribution for pharmacists may improve comfort distributing syringes to PWID, and therefore increase pharmacy syringe sales.
AB - Background: Pharmacies have much to contribute to the health of people who inject drugs (PWID) and to community efforts in HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) prevention through syringe access. However, little is known about what predicts pharmacy syringe sales without a prescription. Objective: To identify factors predicting pharmacy syringes sales to PWID. Methods: A hybrid staggered online survey of 298 Indiana community pharmacists occurred from July-September 2016 measuring pharmacy policy, practice, and pharmacist perceptions about syringe sales to PWID. Separate bivariate logistical regressions were followed by multivariable logistic regression to predict pharmacy syringe sales and pharmacist comfort dispensing syringes to PWID. Results: Half (50.5%) of Indiana pharmacies sold syringes without a prescription to PWID. Pharmacy syringe sales was strongly associated with pharmacist supportive beliefs about syringe access by PWID and their comfort level selling syringes to PWID. Notably, pharmacies located in communities with high rates of opioid overdose mortality were 56% less likely to sell syringes without a prescription than those in communities with lower rates. Pharmacist comfort dispensing syringes was associated with being male, working at a pharmacy that sold syringes to PWID and one that stocked naloxone, having been asked about syringe access by medical providers, and agreement that PWID should be able to buy syringes without a prescription. Conclusions: As communities with high rates of opioid overdose mortality were less likely to have pharmacies that dispensed syringes to PWID, a concerted effort with these communities and their pharmacies should be made to understand opportunities to increase syringe access. Future studies should explore nuances between theoretical support for syringe access by PWID without a prescription and actual dispensing behaviors. Addressing potential policy conflicts and offering continuing education on non-prescription syringe distribution for pharmacists may improve comfort distributing syringes to PWID, and therefore increase pharmacy syringe sales.
KW - HIV prevention
KW - Hepatitis C prevention
KW - Pharmacy public health
KW - Syringe access
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U2 - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.02.024
DO - 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.02.024
M3 - Article
C2 - 29558701
AN - SCOPUS:85044064722
SN - 0955-3959
VL - 56
SP - 46
EP - 53
JO - International Journal of Drug Policy
JF - International Journal of Drug Policy
ER -