Trialling Syringe Vending Machines in the ACT

1. Trialling Syringe Vending Machines in the ACT David McDonald, Director, Social Research & Evaluation Pty LtdVisiting Fellow, National Centre for Epidemiology & Population Health, ANU Preliminary findings Initial feedback questionnaire from clients & potential clients* Of 47 respondents, 28 stated that they had used one or more of the vending machines and 20 said they did so because the other NSP outlets were closed at the time* Almost all respondents provided particularly supportive comments about the SVMs Public opinion* Media monitoring has not revealed any print or electronic media coverage of the trial since its inception and no ‘letters to the editor’ have been published on the topic in the Canberra Times or Canberra’s local community newspapers* Only one complaint has come from businesses located near the SVMs, and that has been resolved SVMs and the NSPs* In the first 6 months of the trial, Canberra NSPs dispensed a total of 198,611 - 1 mL needle/syringes, the SVMs 18,428 and an additional 38,120 were provided to pharmacies for sale* The SVM sales composed approximately 7% of the total; the July 2005 figure is 10% • The intervention • A 12 month trial (Feb 05-Feb 06) initiated by the ACT Govt following an enquiry: Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, Standing Committee on Health 2003, Access to needles and syringes by intravenous drug users, report no. 5, Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, Canberra • Rationale: to make available sterile injecting equipment to people who, for a variety of reasons, cannot obtain it from other outlets, or prefer not to do so • A component of Canberra’s NSP managed by DirectionsACT • Mandated by the ACT Drugs of Dependence (Syringe Vending Machines) Amendment Act 2004, <http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/2004-55/20040812-15737/pdf/2004-55.pdf> • Four electronically-operated vending machines installed on the walls of ACT Health’s Community Health Centres in Canberra: Civic, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and Phillip • Machines owned and stocked by Vendafit Pty Ltd • Sell rigid plastic FitPacks® at a cost of $2.00 each, containing 4 x Terumo 27 g, 1 mL, single use syringes, 1 x 10 ml water for injection, 4 x alcohol swabs, 1 x spoon, 1 x cotton balls (5 pack) & 1 x ‘Safe injecting’ advice card • Contaminated waste disposal bins are installed next to the SVMs • City Rangers check for discarded injecting equipment in the vicinity of the SVMs at weekends • At the commencement of the trial, an information sheet was distributed to people who inject drugs, through the various service agencies including NSPs, peer-support services and Community Health Centres, providing information on the SVMs including their location, contents, cost, etc. • A question-and-answer document about the trial, NSPs and SVMs was also prepared for briefings and the media • The trial evaluation • Syringe vending machines (SVMs) have been operating in NSW for a decade and are found in some parts of Europe and New Zealand • Few formal evaluations have been conducted • Evaluations have generally found that the machines are used by some population groups not served by other outlets for sterile injecting equipment, e.g. young people, Indigenous people, those who do not identify as ‘an injector’ • Ethics approval for the evaluation provided by the ACT Health and Community Care Human Research Ethics Committee • Evaluation research methods • Questionnaire to clients and potential clients during the first weeks of the trial, seeking initial feedback • SVM sales and machine operability/maintenance data provided monthly • Monitoring the provision of sterile injecting equipment through NSP outlets, including community pharmacies • Monitoring data from ACT Government agencies and contractors on used injecting equipment disposed of in public places, injecting equipment placed in the disposal bins adjacent to the SVMs and ambulance call-outs for overdoses • Monitoring public opinion on the trial • A financial costs analysis • A second questionnaire to clients and potential clients to be administered towards the end of the trial, assessing their usage of the SVMs, opinions about them and self-reported behavioural changes linked to the machines’ availability, if any • Trial evaluationprogress reports • Two progress reports have been prepared to date, in May and October 2005 • The third progress report will be presented to ACT Health in December 2005 and the final evaluation report in April 2006 • Progress reports are available from the author or online at <http://www.health.act.gov.au/c/health?a=da&did=10036533&pid=1057881447> SVM sales February - July 2005 (25 weeks) For further information David McDonaldSocial Research & Evaluation Pty LtdPO Box 1355Woden ACT 2606 T: (02) 6231 8904F: (02) 9475 4274E: mail@socialresearch.com.au