Assignment 16- Church

 Works Cited

Elizabeth Hartney, BSc. “How to Find a Needle and Syringe Exchange Program.” ​Verywell Mind​, 17 Sept. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/how-to-find-a-needle-exchange-program-22066.

The article called “How to Find a Needle and Syringe Exchange Program,”by Elizabeth Hartney was published in verywell mind an online magazine that focuses on mental health and has published articles by research professors. Elizabeth Hartney is a​ psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. The article highlights the importance of needle exchange programs due to the decrease in diseases, then inserts an important statement that there are at least 430 needle exchange programs in the United States. Then it proceeds to tell the intended audience what to do if there isn't a needle exchange program near them and how they should dispose of old needles.

National Research Council (US) and Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Needle Exchange and Bleach Distribution Programs; Normand J, Vlahov D, Moses LE, editors. Preventing HIV Transmission: The Role of Sterile Needles and Bleach. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1995. 7, The Effects of Needle Exchange Programs.​ Available from: ​https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK232343/

The research paper is a medical panel of doctors reviewing the effects and successes on Needle Exchange Programs in America. Published in 1995, over 15 years ago it could be considered outdated as there are more needle exchange programs in the United States but since the panel is reviewing effectiveness, the data could still be considered relevant especially when examining

effectiveness over time. The panel found in conclusion that needle exchange programs are effective in lowering the number of people with HIV and lowers the number of “dirty” needles that are in circulation in the United States. They then continue to highlight the recommendations they are making to continue a positive outcome including public support and try to decrease the number of new users in the area.

“Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSPs) for HIV Prevention.” ​Avert​, 10 Oct. 2019,www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-programming/prevention/needle-syringe-program mes​.

Avert is an anti-HIV and AIDs website that was founded in 1986 at the peak of the crisis in America. It was made to inform and help people who were living with HIV and Aids. ​In 2015, Avert became a certified member of the Information Standard, a UK National Health Service (NHS) accreditation that recognises trustworthy health information. The article was just recently reviewed and fact checked in 2019 allowing for optimal data. The key points of the article are that Needle Exchange programs are still not available everywhere in the world, and that the average user needs about 200 clean needles per year and these local exchanges have way less than this, and this is caused by an insufficient function due to lack of political support.

“Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) FAQs.” ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 23 May 2019, www.cdc.gov/ssp/syringe-services-programs-faq.html​.

This article comes from the Centers for Disease Control, which is a national research institute in control of research for all diseases, viruses, and bacteria in the United States and world research. The article states that ​The Federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 includes language that gives states and local communities meeting certain criteria the opportunity to use federal funds provided through the Department of Health and Human Services. The research also shows that the needle exchange programs don’t increase the new number of drug users but also doesn't decrease the number of users pre existing users.

Wittes, Jason. “Needle Exchange Program.” ​Governors Institute,​ 27 Apr. 2018, Accessed 1 Dec. 2020.

This was an interview with Jason Wittes, who has a Doctorate in Pharmacy This interview is a project of the Governor’s Institute supported by the through funding from the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substances Abuse Services. In the interview Dr. Wittes discusses the benefits of needle exchange programs including decreased HIV and Hepatitis C infection rates, and healthcare cost reduction. He explains how disposal of medications and syringes is vital for the health of the community and addresses the stigma pharmacists face when implementing these types of programs.