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Retractable Syringes in a Swiss Prison Needle and Syringe Exchange Program: Experiences of Drug-using Inmates and Prison Staff Perceptions

Barro, Javier ; Casillas, Alejandra ; Gétaz, Laurent ; Rieder, Jean-Pierre ; Baroudi, Mariem ; François, Anne ; Broers, Barbara ; Wolff, Hans

In: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2014, vol. 12, no. 5, p. 648-659

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    Titre
    • Retractable Syringes in a Swiss Prison Needle and Syringe Exchange Program: Experiences of Drug-using Inmates and Prison Staff Perceptions
    Auteur
    • Barro, Javier. Division of Penitentiary Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergencies, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Casillas, Alejandra. Division of Penitentiary Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergencies, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Gétaz, Laurent. Division of Penitentiary Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergencies, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Rieder, Jean-Pierre. Division of Penitentiary Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergencies, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Baroudi, Mariem. Division of Penitentiary Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergencies, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • François, Anne. University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Broers, Barbara. University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    • Wolff, Hans. Division of Penitentiary Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care and Emergencies, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Anglais
    Publié dans
    • International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 2014, vol. 12, no. 5, p. 648-659. Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com
    Autre version électronique
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:325524
    Summary
    Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs (NSP) prevent infectious diseases in community and prisons. Less than 1% of prisons worldwide have NSP. One barrier is organizational concern for needle stick injuries from used syringes. Given these concerns, we introduced retractable syringes into our prison NSP and evaluated 1) injection drug users' experiences with retractable syringes and 2) beliefs and knowledge about NSP among prison officers (PO) and healthcare staff (HS). In 2010, we replaced usual syringes with retractable needle devices in the prison of Champ-Dollon, Geneva, Switzerland. We examined demographics, clinical profiles and NSP use among NSP participants, and asked about ease and safety of retractable syringes use in interviews. We distributed questionnaires to PO and HS, to assess knowledge and general opinions on NSP. The majority of participants expressed that retractable syringes were acceptable alternatives, but needed improvements. Of the questionnaires, 90.3% of PO and 9.6% of HS were still concerned about misuse of soiled syringes as weapons. Improving the quality and ease of use of use may increase the acceptance of retractable syringes. Continuing to address PO and HS safety concerns is an important step towards more disseminated NSP implementation and useful innovation.