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Edward V Morse, PhD, Department of Pediatrics SL-37, Tulane University, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, 504.568.6256, gbear@tulane.edu and Patricia Morse, LCSW, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Objectives: To examine the associations among pharmacy syringe purchase, attitudes toward pharmacies, high risk injection practices and HBV/HCV prevalence in a sample of young incarcerated African American IDUs. Methods: Data from this NIDA-funded study were collected from a sample of 181 incarcerated African American IDUs (age 16-29) in New Orleans using an ACASI interview. Data included: purchasing syringes from a pharmacy, perceptions of pharmacies, high risk injection practices (direct and indirect sharing or backloading), and general attitudes toward pharmacy utilization. Blood was tested for HBC and HCV. Results: 53.6% reported ever purchasing a syringe from a pharmacy. Pharmacies were the primary source of clean syringes for 33%. Perceptions of syringe purchase at pharmacies were positive and did not differ by actual pharmacy use. Purchasing at a pharmacy was not tempered by appearance, being high, embarrassment, or fear. Most (67%) felt “good reasons to purchase syringes from a pharmacy outweigh bad”. Less than 20% reported using a pharmacy for health information. High risk injection practices (x2=.43; p=.6) and HCV (x2=3.8; p=.06) or HBV (x2=.03; p=1.0) status were not statistically significantly associated with pharmacy purchase. Conclusions: Patterns of syringe purchase at pharmacies may be unique to Orleans Parish because sale of syringes is at the discretion of the pharmacist. Contrary to what might be expected, risk behavior and hepatitis prevalence were not directly related to pharmacy purchase of syringes, however, in the future using pharmacies to provide IDUs health information may increase safe injection practices.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Injection Drug Users, Hepatitis C
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.