Randomized, community-based pharmacy intervention to expand services beyond sale of sterile syringes to injection drug users in pharmacies in New York City

Abstract

Structural interventions may help reduce racial/ethnic disparities in HIV. In 2009 to 2011, we randomized pharmacies participating in a nonprescription syringe access program in minority communities to intervention (pharmacy enrolled and delivered HIV risk reduction information to injection drug users [IDUs]), primary control (pharmacy only enrolled IDUs), and secondary control (pharmacy did not engage IDUs). Intervention pharmacy staff reported more support for syringe sales than did control staff. An expanded pharmacy role in HIV risk reduction may be helpful.

FIGURE 1—

Pharmacy enrollment, randomization, and study procedures: Pharmacies as Resources Making Links to Community Services, 2009–2011. Note. IDU = injection drug user.

FIGURE 2—

Pharmacy staff support of extended pharmacy services for injection drug user syringe customers, before and after intervention, for (a) ESAP, (b) in-pharmacy vaccination, and (c) in-pharmacy HIV testing: Pharmacies as Resources Making Links to Community Services, 2009–2011. Note. ESAP = New York State Expanded Syringe Access Program; I = intervention; P = primary control; S = secondary control. Sample size of pharmacy staff was n = 383. These data represent pharmacy staff in 26 intervention, 29 primary control, and 33 secondary control sites at baseline; 18 intervention, 21 primary control, and 27 secondary control sites at 6-mo follow-up; and 20 intervention, 19 primary control, and 27 secondary control sites at 12-mo follow-up. P values represent group differences at 12-mo follow-up (I vs P; I vs S) or the trend in pharmacy support over time (individual values).