Access to safer injection equipment among people who inject drugs utilizing medical services in an urban hospital in the United States

Abstract

Injection drug use carries significant risks for injury and infection, particularly when injection supplies are reused or shared. Syringe service programs and pharmacy nonprescription sale of syringes minimize this risk by promoting access to supplies. This study aimed to characterize how individuals accessing medical care obtain supplies and the impact of perceived barriers to accessing safer injection supplies. One hundred and twenty participants reporting past seven-day injection drug use were recruited from a large urban academic medical center. Participants completed a survey about their injection drug use practices, access to injection supplies, as well as barriers to accessing supplies. Most participants (68%) reported obtaining syringes from multiple sources over the past 3 months, most commonly syringe service programs (78%) or a pharmacy (68%). Few (3%) reported obtaining supplies from medical settings. Participants who found syringes easy to obtain were less likely to report reusing a syringe >10 times (25% vs. 81%, p