Implementation of an Interdisciplinary Syringe Services Program Within a Primary Care Clinical Setting

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Harm Reduction Strategies
• Primary Care Integration

Background:

• Syringe services programs (SSPs) are crucial for harm reduction among persons who inject drugs (PWID).
• Integrating SSPs into primary care settings can enhance engagement and reduce stigma associated with substance use.
• Primary care settings offer a unique opportunity to provide comprehensive services to PWID.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation of a primary care-based SSP.
• To identify facilitators and barriers encountered during the implementation process.
• To report on early clinical outcomes of patients accessing the integrated SSP.

Main Methods:

• Needs assessment and stakeholder input to define the SSP's purpose within primary care.
• Formation of a project facilitation group to manage implementation.
• Systematic examination of facilitators and barriers throughout the development phase.

Main Results:

• Implementation barriers included legal issues and facility restrictions; facilitators involved stakeholder collaboration and community resources.
• A nurse- and pharmacist-driven workflow improved patient accessibility and triage.
• The primary care SSP served 18 PWID, providing harm reduction, primary care visits, wound care, and SUD medication management.

Conclusions:

• Primary care-based SSPs successfully connect patients to harm reduction and comprehensive healthcare services.
• This integrated model offers a viable framework for developing future primary care-based SSPs.
• The study highlights the potential of primary care settings to improve health outcomes for PWID.