The NTA welcomes the NICE guidance to the NHS on needle exchanges and syringe programmes, which is published today.
This latest public health guidance from the National Institute for Healthcare and Clinical Excellence endorses the schemes currently provided by pharmacies and other drug services in England to reduce the harms caused by injecting drugs.
It sets out a blueprint of best practice for those working in the NHS, local authorities and the wider public and voluntary sector about the important role that needle and syringe programmes play in tackling the spread of blood-borne viruses, including Hepatitis C and HIV.
The publication builds on the UK guidelines on clinical management agreed in 2007, and effectively says that in the independent view of NICE, needle and syringe programmes are both cost-effective and based on secure evidence.
Colin Bradbury, the NTA’s treatment delivery manager, said: “Needle and syringe programmes, particularly when used as a means to referring people to enter drug treatment programmes, are an effective means of reducing the risk of HIV and changing injecting behaviour.
“Clearly the best way to reduce harm is to encourage people to stop injecting and work towards becoming abstinent from illicit drug use. This publication complements the full suite of NICE guidance on drug treatment, which says local services should have a full and balanced range of interventions available to tackle drug misuse, including harm reduction services, substitute prescribing, and abstinence-oriented treatment.”
Home Office research estimates there are 116,809 drug users injecting opiates or crack in England, representing a 14 per cent reduction in the number of injectors over a three year period.
NICE held a press briefing yesterday in advance of the publication and highlighted the role of needle and syringe programmes as the gateway to structured drug treatment.
Prof Mike Kelly, director of the NICE public health excellence centre, said: “There is a serious public health problem from injecting drug use. This guidance aims to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, get people into treatment, help them get off drugs, provide advice and information, and provide a gateway into other welfare services.”
Dr David Sloan, vice-chair of the NICE public health interventions advisory committee and a former GP, said: “I have seen the effect of drugs, not only on users but on families, friends and the wider community. It is not a glamorous life, being addicted, particularly when you are injecting. Whatever your feelings about how people have got there and why, they need help.”
NICE estimated the cost to the NHS of caring for an injecting drug user is £35,000 over their lifetime. If nothing was done, it claimed the total cost taking into account the cost of crime and the criminal justice system would be £480,000.
Prof Kelly said: “Evidence shows that needle and syringe programmes are not only an effective way of tackling blood-borne viruses among injecting drug users, but that they also actually save the NHS and public sector money. Should the NHS spend its money this way? We say, a resounding Yes.”