Harm Reduction

Question 1

What is Harm Reduction?

Answer 1

A social policy that aims to benefit the individual, communities and society by protecting them from negative effects, social and financial costs of activities that present a very significant risk of harm.

Not telling people to stop taking drugs, but to make the process safer

Question 2

What are the 7 key issues with NSP?

Answer 2

Coverage –> Needs to above 100% due to breakages and the opportunity to give to others

Convenience and accessibility

Equipment quantities

Relationship with supply and returns

Confidentiality

Staff attitude

Provision of interventions + supply

Question 3

What is the main issue with NSP evidence and papers?

Answer 3

They lack control (naturally due to the type of people you are working with)

Ethical problems –> Could you do an RCT (gold standard) with coverage vs no coverage? And potentially give people HepB!?

Differences between countires strategies, so hard to get an overall answer

Therefore evidence is usually low quality with high heterogenity