Willingness to and the experiences of Participating in Needle Syringe Programs among Community Pharmacies

• Main Authors: Huei-Yin Tsai, 蔡慧茵
• Other Authors: 丁志音
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/86338609096195223983

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 衛生政策與管理研究所 === 96 === HIV infection among injection drug users (IDUs) due to sharing needles and syringes poses great challenge for the current HIV prevention tasks, and unlimited provision of sterile needles and syringes to IDUs therefore constitutes the most cost-effective measure of public health. “Needle and Syringe Program”, one of the core programs of the domestic Harm Reduction Program, has been initiated nationwide since 2006. Community pharmacies are chosen to be the main locations to execute the program. To increase the program coverage and provide more accessible services, it is necessary to understand the responses and willingness of pharmacists in proving and selling clean needles and syringes. Of greater significance, barriers encountered by community pharmacists who have ever participated or are participating in the program should be explored to provide feedbacks to current program implementation. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study aims to examine the perceptions, cognitions, and behavioral characteristics of current program participants, previous participants, and non-participants. Special experiences from previous and current participation were particularly emphasized to respond to current policy. In March 2008, self-administered questionnaires were distributed, mainly through mailing, to employees/employers of community pharmacies located in four counties of northern part of Taiwan. A total of 178 valid questionnaires were collected, which made a final response rate of 20.8%. The main findings are as follows: (1) 43.3% of the surveyed pharmacies were “very willing or willing” to provide and sell sterile needles and syringes to IDUs, (2) The major attitudinal factors affecting participation are “the program can contribute to the reduction of infections such as HIV and hepatitis, “the reactions of neighborhoods”, and “moral and ethic consideration in the provision of needles and syringes to IDUs”. (3) The more positive of the “attitudes” and the less influenced by the “subjective norms” and “perceived behavioral control” the more likely a pharmacist was willing to join the program, and (4) For non participants, safety was their primary concern, and for previous participants, which was “demanding and heavy work load.” The major difficulties encountered in the execution of the program were referral to other areas of services, ineffective delivery of health education, collection of used needles and syringes. They suggested more efforts be made to enhance campaign and drug education. The following aspects of suggestions are proposed based on the above findings: (1) To increase the coverage of the program through more intensive recruitment and training which emphasize public health implications of the program, and by so doing to raise the social responsibility and passion of community pharmacies and. (2) The government should provide supports and consultations, and build partnerships with community pharmacies to understand their needs and improve their quality of services. (3) Incentives should be provided to reduce the socio-structural barriers faced by community pharmacies, such as their concerns of safety.