This guideline covers needle and syringe programmes for people (including those under 16) who inject drugs. The main aim is to reduce the transmission of viruses and other infections caused by sharing injecting equipment, such as HIV, hepatitis B and C. In turn, this will reduce the prevalence of blood-borne viruses and bacterial infections, so benefiting wider society.
This guideline includes recommendations to:
- consult with and involve users, practitioners and the local community
- commission both generic and targeted services to meet local need and provide a mix of services
- develop a policy for young people who inject drugs
- provide community pharmacy-based needle and syringe programmes
- provide specialist (level 3) needle and syringe programmes
- provide equipment and advice to people who inject image- and performance-enhancing drugs
Who is it for?
- Directors of public health
- Commissioners and providers of needle and syringe programmes and related services
- Professionals with a remit for infectious disease prevention
- Members of the public
Is this guideline up to date?
We checked this guideline in January 2019. We found no new evidence that affects the recommendations of this guideline.
Guideline development process
This guideline replaces PH18 (2009). It has been extended to include young people aged under 18 (including those under 16) and users of image- and performance-enhancing drugs.
The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of NICE, arrived at after careful consideration of the evidence available. When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners are expected to take this guideline fully into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their patients or the people using their service. It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations, and the guideline does not override the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual, in consultation with them and their families and carers or guardian.
All problems (adverse events) related to a medicine or medical device used for treatment or in a procedure should be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using the Yellow Card Scheme.
Local commissioners and providers of healthcare have a responsibility to enable the guideline to be applied when individual professionals and people using services wish to use it. They should do so in the context of local and national priorities for funding and developing services, and in light of their duties to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to advance equality of opportunity and to reduce health inequalities. Nothing in this guideline should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with complying with those duties.
Commissioners and providers have a responsibility to promote an environmentally sustainable health and care system and should assess and reduce the environmental impact of implementing NICE recommendations wherever possible.