AJPH
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

AJPH First Look, published online ahead of print Jun 29, 2006
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
AJPH.2003.032698v1
96/8/1347    most recent
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Deibert, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Thiede, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Deibert, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Thiede, H.
Related Collections
Right arrow Health Law
Right arrow Health Policy
Right arrow HIV/AIDS
Right arrow Hepatitis
Right arrow Prevention
Right arrow Drugs
August 2006, Vol 96, No. 8 | American Journal of Public Health 1347-1353
© 2006 American Public Health Association
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2003.032698

HEALTH POLICY AND ETHICS

Increased Access to Unrestricted Pharmacy Sales of Syringes in Seattle–King County, Washington: Structural and Individual-Level Changes, 1996 Versus 2003

Ryan J. Deibert, MPH, Gary Goldbaum, MD, MPH, Theodore R. Parker, MPH, Holly Hagan, PhD, Robert Marks, MEd, Michael Hanrahan, BA and Hanne Thiede, DVM, MPH

At the time of this study, Ryan J. Deibert was in the MPH program in the Health Services Department, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle. Gary Gold-baum and Hanne Thiede are with the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, and with Department of Public Health—Seattle–King County, Seattle. At the time of this study, Theodore Parker was with Public Health—Seattle–King County, Seattle. Holly Hagan is with the Center for Drug Use and HIV Research, National Development and Research Institutes, New York, NY. Robert Marks and Michael Hanrahan are with Public Health—Seattle–King County, Seattle.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Ryan J. Deibert, Oregon Department of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon St., Suite 1105, Portland, OR 97232 (e-mail: ryan.j.deibert{at}state.or.us).

ABSTRACT

We examined pharmacists’ attitudes and practices related to syringe sales to injection drug users before and after legal reform and local programming to enhance sterile syringe access. We replicated a 1996 study by conducting pharmacist phone surveys and syringe test-buys in randomly selected pharmacies.

Test-buy success increased from 48% in 1996 to 65% in 2003 (P=.04). Pharmacists agreeing that syringes should be available to injection drug users through pharmacy purchase increased from 49% to 71% (P<.01). Pharmacy policies and pharmacist attitudes were strongly associated with syringe access. Structural changes, including policy reform and pharmacy outreach, appear to increase syringe access. Interventions should address pharmacy policies and pharmacist attitudes and policies.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2006 by the American Public Health Association