PMID: 19149383Jan 20, 2009Paper

Harm reduction product distribution in British Columbia.

Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Santé Publique
Stephanie S HarvardJane A Buxton

Abstract

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) tracks the distribution of all harm reduction products subsidized by the BC government, including needles and syringes, sterile water vials, alcohol swabs, condoms, and lubricant. This study measures the distribution of harm reduction products in BC, identifies regional variation in distribution, and estimates the supply/demand ratio for needle and syringe units. Using three years of administrative data (2004-2006) from the BCCDC, the quantity of harm reduction products distributed was calculated by Health Service Delivery Area (HSDA). Regional hepatitis C virus (HCV) case report rates were calculated to reflect potential variation in IDU populations at the HSDA-level and the number of needle and syringe units distributed per reported case of HCV was calculated and ranked by HSDA. To compare the demand for sterile injecting equipment to the distribution, the number of illicit drug injections per year was approximated using established estimates of IDU populations in BC and Vancouver. Marked regional variation exists in the rates of harm reduction product distribution per 100,000 residents aged 15-64. The average number of needle and syringe units distributed annually in BC...Continue Reading

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