Community pharmacist perspectives on HIV/AIDS and interventions for injection drug users in Canada

In several countries, community pharmacies play a major role in the provisi on of HIV prevention services to injection drug users (IDUs). In this study , results from a national Canadian Survey of Community Pharmacies and HIV/A IDS Prevention are used to describe pharmacists' perspectives on HIV/AIDS a nd services to IDUs, and explore the relationship between personal and orga nizational characteristics and the level of support for HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives. A mailed questionnaire was directed to a random sample of 2,0 17 pharmacist owner-managers. The response rare was 84.6%. Results suggest that current services to IDUs primarily are limited to discretionary needle and syringe sales to non-diabetics, with almost three-quarters supportive. Staff safety was an important consideration in the provision of this servi ce (77%), while,remuneration was the lowest (27%). Community pharmacists we re most comfortable with the provision of counselling, advice and literatur e ((X) over bar = 2.6) and environmental and technological interventions (( X) over bar = 2.4) and least supportive of provision of services as part of a programme ((X) over bar = 1.6) and legalization of drugs or prescription of methodone ((X) over bar = 1.9). Female pharmacists were more likely, to support preventive measures such as the provision of counselling or advice , and males were more likely to promote legislative change. Pharmacists app ear generally willing to expand their services in the fight against HIV/AID S. However, it is not feasible to expect uniform programmes to be immediate ly introduced While organizational, educational and policy changes may faci litate programme development, individual pharmacy and pharmacist discretion remains important.