Table 6 OL: Provision and types of needle and syringe programmes (NSPs), pharmacy involvement, numbers of syringes distributed/sold 

Country (year)

Year first NSP

 Number of NSPs (programmes/sites)

Types of NSP

Geographical coverage/location

Pharmacy involvement in NSP programmes

Number of syringes distributed through NSPs

Information on pharmacy sales to IDUs

... except pharmacies

... at pharmacies

Total needles/syringes

Belgium (2003)

1994 French

2001 Flanders

15 programmes, 36 sites + 48 pharmacies. Expanding

Fixed, streetworker, pharmacies, peer distribution

All major cities with IDU population; pharmacy purchase no problem; 48 pharmacies involved

40 pharmacies (Flemish Community) + 8 in Liège of total 5 200

522 000 (Flemish + French, 2002)

28 000 (French)

No data (Flemish)

550 000

Pharmacies are common source of syringe/needle for IDUs'

Czech Republic (2003)

1992

Approx. 90 sites

Fixed, streetworker, peer distribution at 15% of NSPs

Whole country;

50% of IDUs reached

No

1.5 million

Not involved

1.5 million

68% of IDUs also buy from pharmacies; for 37% its the main source

Denmark (2003)

1986

No information

Fixed, pharmacies, machines

In 10 of 13 counties

Yes, but level of involvement unknown

National level: no information

National level: no information

National level: no information

Copenhagen: 400 000 (2002)

Not available

Germany (2003)

1988-1991

> 100

Fixed, mobile, streetworker, machines

About 80 cities. 1 prison

No

Not available

Not involved

Not available

Not available

Estonia (2003)

1997

13 (2002) (17 in 2004)

Fixed, mobile (van), including for CWS

In all cities with important IDU populations

No

Not available

Not involved

Not available

Not available

Greece (2003)

1998

3

Fixed (1), streetwork (2)

Only Athens

No

Approx. 48 500 (2002)

Not involved

Approx. 48 500 (2002)

Not available

Spain (2001 & 2003, data incomplete)

1988-1993

> 1 600

Fixed, mobile, streetworker, machines, pharmacies

All Autonomous communities and cities. Prisons

Yes, 'protocol' since 1998. Major partner in national programme

2.8 mio reported from estimated 17% of facilities (2002).

NSPs in open drug scenes Madrid & Barcelona exchange 1 mio alone

No data

Reported total = 4 467 266 (2000)

Not available

France (2003)

1989

Approx. 120

Fixed, mobile, streetworker, pharmacy-based, machines

'Whereever important DU populations are known'.

In 87 of 100 Départements (in 2001)

Pharmacies in 20 cities sell stérikit. Involvement in free distribution: low

Estimated 3 million in 2001 (Emmanuelli, 2003)

5.2 million (in 2002) via subsidised stéribox (Emmanuelli, 2003)

8.2 million (in 2002) total NSP plus stérikit

3.7 million sales that are not stérikit. Strong decrease from 10.8 million in 1999 (Emmanuelli, 2003)

Ireland (2003)

1989

> 20 sites plus outreach to clients homes

Fixed, mobile, outreach

Eastern Regional Health Authority Area: Dublin city and surrounding area

No

National total not available; 16 509 (at one NGO, in 1998)

Not involved

National total not available; 16 509 (at one NGO, in 1998)

Probably very limited

Italy (2003)

1994

No information

Fixed, mobile, machines (=75% of volume)

More in northern/central Italy; cities

No

Not available

Not involved

Not available

Not available

Cyprus

 No NSPs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Latvia (2003)

1999

Min. 11 sites

Fixed, mobile

11 cities

No

94 000 (2002)

Not involved

94 146 (exactly)

Negative attitudes

Lithuania (2003)

1997

7 programmes

Fixed, mobile (=15% of volume)

6 cities

No

370 000 (2002)

Not involved

372 676 (exactly including estimate for Visaginas); 367 012 NR

Not available

Luxembourg (2003)

1993

1 decentralised programme with several sites

Fixed, streetworker, machines

Specialised services in 3 major cities (centre, north, south); machines in five major cities

No

254 596 (2002)

Not involved

254 596 (2002)

Pharmacies are preferential source for 32% of IDUs

Hungary (2003)

1994

6 programmes, 7 sites

Fixed (5), mobile (1), machine (1)

Min. 4 cities

No

56 500 (2000)

Not involved

56 500 (2000)

Most willing to sell

Malta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Netherlands (2001)

1984

Estimated 139 sites (in 2000), but absolute number unknown

Fixed, mobile, streetworker, general practitioners

>95% of bigger cities

No

Not available

Not involved

Not available; estimates of syringes per IDU per year range from 200 (Utrecht) to 1 000 (Delft)

Not available

Austria (2003)

1990

20 sites

Fixed, mobile, streetworker, machines

13 towns, 7 of 9 provinces

No

National total not available; most important NSPs 1.65 million (2002)

Not involved

National total not available; most important NSPs 1.65 million (2002)

Not available

Poland (2003)

1989

25

Fixed, streetworker, peer distribution

18 cities plus region Slask, no national coverage

No

455 338 at 23 of 25 programmes

Not involved

455 338 (2002)

Not available

Portugal (2003)

1993 (National programme)

1 national programme

1 238 pharmacies plus 30 fixed, mobile, streetworker.

National coverage. Prisons under consideration

Yes, main partner within national programme. 1 238 of 2 567 (48%) of pharmacies

Estimated 27% of total volume (722 000)

Estimated 73% of total volume (1.95 million)

2.67 million (2002), decrease 23% from 2001

Not available

Slovenia (2003)

1992

3-5 sites

Fixed, streetworker, pharmacy

3-5 cities (Ljubljana, Celje and Zalec; also Koper and Maribor?)

2 of 262 pharmacies

National total not available. 205 000 (main programme)

15 000 (estimate)

220 000 (estimate)

Not available

Slovakia (2000/2003)

1994

4 sites

Fixed, streetworker

2 cities (Bratislava, Kosice)

No

300 000 (2002)

Not involved

300 000 (2002)

Not available

Finland (2003)

1997

23 programmes/29 sites (including streetwork and mobile unit)

Fixed, mobile, streetworker

20 cities: 93% of cities with >50 000 inhabitants plus 7 smaller cities

No

1.13 million (2002); increase from 1 mio (2001) and 550 000 in 2000

Not involved

1.13 million

470 000 kits sold in pharmacies (2002)

Sweden (2003)

1986

2 sites

Hospitals for infectious diseases

Lund, Malmö

No

110 000

Not involved

110 000

Not available

UK (2003)

EW: 1986

SC: 1987

NI: 2001

Est > 2000 sites (1997)

Fixed specialist services, hospital emergency depts., mobile, streetworker, pharmacies, peer-based

Programmes in most English cities, coverage rural areas unclear. Pharmacy-based NSPs introduced in Northern Ireland in 2001. All DATs in Scotland.

50% of volume; 75% of NSP points.

13.5 million = 50% (est. for 1997)

13.5 million (est for 1997)

N Ireland: only pharmacies: 67.500 (2002)

England, Scotland, Wales estimate for 1997: 27 million (Parsons, 2002)

In 2002: N. Ireland: 67 500; Scotland: 2 717 686 (strong increase); no data for England & Wales

Not available

Norway (2003)

1985

Not available

Fixed specialist service, mobile, streetworker, machines

Oslo and most major municipalities

No

National total not available; 1.9 million at one specialised service Oslo (2001)

Not involved

Not available

Not available

Sources: National reports/Standard Table 10 of the year indicated; and Central and Eastern European Harm Reduction Network database as additional source in some cases.

Emmanuelli, J. (2003) Siamois: Tendances en matière de réduction des risques chez les usagers de drogues par voie iv, In : Bello, J-Y., Toufik, A., Gandilhon, M., Giraudoin, I. and Bonnet, N., Phénomènes émergents liés aux drogues en 2002, quatrième rapport national du dispositif TREND, Paris, OFDT, pp 263-267.

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