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. 2010 May;45(6):901-15.
doi: 10.3109/10826080903080631.

Organizational issues in the implementation of a hospital-based syringe exchange program

Carmen L Masson  1 , James L Sorensen, Nina Grossman, Karl A Sporer, Don C Des Jarlais, David C Perlman
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Organizational issues in the implementation of a hospital-based syringe exchange program

Carmen L Masson et al. Subst Use Misuse. 2010 May.

Abstract

Little published information exists to guide health care institutions in establishing syringe exchange program (SEP) services. To address this gap, this article discusses organizational issues encountered in the implementation of a hospital-based SEP in San Francisco, California (USA). Investigators collaborated with a community organization in implementing a county hospital-based SEP. SEP services integrated into a public hospital presented unique challenges directly related to their status as a health care institution. In the course of introducing SEP services into a hospital setting as part of a clinical trial, various ethical, legal, and logistical issues were raised. Based on these experiences, this paper provides guidance on how to integrate an SEP into a traditional health care institution.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

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