ASAP: A pharmacy-level intervention to increase nonprescription syringe sales to reduce bloodborne illnesses

Abstract

Background: Pharmacy syringe sales are effective structural interventions to reduce bloodborne illnesses in populations, and are legal in all but two states. Yet evidence indicates reduced syringe sales in recent years. This study was designed as a feasibility test of an intervention to promote syringe sales by pharmacies in Arizona. Methods: A four-month pilot among three Arizona pharmacies measured feasibility and acceptability through monthly surveys to 18 enrolled pharmacy staff members. Results: Pharmacy staff reported increased ease of dispensing syringes across the study. Rankings of syringe dispensing as ‘easiest’ among 6 measured pharmacy practices increased from 38.9 % at baseline to 50.1 % post intervention module training, and to 83.3 % at pilot conclusion. The majority (72.2 %) of pharmacy staff agreed that intervention materials were easy to use. Over 70 % indicated that the intervention was influential in their “being more open to selling syringes without a prescription to someone who might use them for illicit drug use,” and 61.1 % reported that in the future, they were highly likely to dispense syringes to customers who would use them to inject drugs. A vast majority (92 %) reported being likely to dispense subsidized naloxone if available to their pharmacy at no cost. Conclusions: An education-based intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable to pharmacy staff and had an observed impact on perceptions of ease and likelihood of dispensing syringes without a prescription to people who may use them to inject drugs.