Before the presentation I didn’t think of needle exchange programs as a public health initiative, at least not one that had an impact on non-IV drug users. I thought it was a bit of an enabling program for drug users, and honestly, I’m not crazy about the program being able to give out 100 needles to people who don’t have any needles to exchange. But I understand better now the need for safe disposal sites and the need for better preventative care for people with high risk for blood borne infections.
I feel like the presentation was more aimed at the general public, and not geared towards nurses. I would have liked to hear more information about the evidence behind these programs. I looked it up afterwards and I saw that people who participate in needle exchange programs have a 3.5 times higher rate to stop injecting. I think that would have swayed me more than most of the things I saw in the presentation.
As healthcare providers we can decrease disparities in the IV drug user population by providing more preventative screenings and doing our best to educate them about safety measures to reduce risks of blood borne pathogens. Additionally, we can try to remove barriers to care like connecting them to resources to help with underlying challenges like homelessness or mental health care.
