Healthcare professionals and partners

The Harm Reduction Works campaign was developed by Exchange Supplies for the NTA as part of the implementation of Reducing Drug Related Harm: An Action Plan.

The campaign targets those most at risk of drug-related deaths and/or contracting blood-borne viruses and those in contact with them, including service users, homeless people, those who inject heroin and crack  (speedballing), those who are likely to begin injecting or have recently started injecting,  and people in contact with the criminal justice system.

The range of publications and films available are designed for people who use drugs, their carers, and the commissioners and providers of drug treatment services to improve their knowledge and understanding of these issues and how best to respond to them.

Listen to a podcast of Andrew Preston from Exchange Supplies talking about the Harm Reduction Works campaign on the Injecting Advice website. The campaign has now been running for nearly three years.

The materials can be viewed and ordered from http://www.harmreductionworks.org.uk/

The NTA supported the development of the RCGP Certificate in Reducing Harm: Maximising Health, Recovery and Well Being for People Using Drugs and Alcohol.

This course enables primary care practitioners to conduct effective, patient-centered consultations with people with problematic drug and alcohol use. It aims to increase knowledge of the health issues faced by this group and the range of interventions available in primary care.

It is aimed at all front line practitioners working in primary care - including general practice, open access drug and alcohol services and A&E - particularly those not traditionally involved in providing services to this patient group. It will also act as an important refresher for practitioners involved in shared care or specialist services and/or as an CPD update for RCGP Part 1 certificate in Drug Misuse holders.

The Certificate consists of a free online e-module plus a one day training component.

The e-module can be accessed at http://www.elearning.rcgp.org.uk/.

Please check the RCGP website for details of forthcoming training days

• Needle and syringe programmes: NICE public health guidance  (NICE)
• Reducing Drug-Related Harm: An Action Plan (DH & NTA)
• Good Practice in Harm Reduction (NTA)
• Reducing deaths - a resource for A and E staff (NTA)
• Drug overdose: prevention and response - guidance for helplines (NTA)
• Promoting safer drinking - a briefing paper for drug workers (NTA)
• Reducing drug-related deaths - guidance for drug-treatment providers (NTA)
• Preventing overdose: guidance for drug action teams on providing resuscitation training for drug users (DH)