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Syringe services programs (SSP), also known as syringe exchange programs (SEP), have existed and been studied extensively in the United States since 1988.Community-based SSPs provide access to sterile needles and syringes free of cost, facilitate safe disposal of used needles and syringes and offer safer injection education. SSPs in Kentucky also provide participants with access to critical services and programs, including substance use disorder treatment programs; overdose prevention education; screening, care and treatment for HIV and viral hepatitis; prevention of mother-to-child transmission; hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination; screening for other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis; partner services; and other medical, social and mental health services.

In response to Senate Bill 192 enacted in 2015, the Kentucky Department for Public Health publishes guidelines for local health departments implementing harm reduction and SSPs.

SB 192 impacts KRS 218A.500

KY SEP Guidelines (Long Version)

KY SEP Guidelines (Short Version)​

*Please contact Chase Barnes to revise SSP locations and hours.

Facts about SSPs

• SSPs do not encourage the initiation of drug use nor do they increase the frequency of drug use among current users. (1)
• SSPs reduce the spread of infections like HIV and viral hepatitis. (2)
• SSPs do not increase community crime. Community residents may worry that syringe services locations will increase theft, sex trades, assaults, and an increase of contaminated needles on the street. However, studies have shown that SSPs actually decrease crime in the area they are located. (3)
• SSPs increase community safety. Research shows that SSPs promote public health and safety by taking syringes off the streets and protecting law enforcement personnel from needle stick injuries, which can result in the transmission of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and C. (4)
• SSPs connect people to treatment. One study found that SSP participants are five times more likely to enter a drug treatment program than nonparticipants. (5)

Recommended Best Practices for Effective SSPs in the United States

SSPs are central to reducing disease and other health burdens among people who inject illicit drugs. Three decades of research has demonstrated the effectiveness of SSPs in preventing HIV and other blood-borne infections, as well as connecting people who inject drugs with a range of vital medical and social services and supports. The Recommended Best Practices report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with the Drug Policy Alliance summarizes the consensus among United States SSP experts of the underlying principles and programmatic elements that enable or constrain SSP effectiveness. Effective SSPs have the support of local governing bodies and match sound operational characteristics with responsiveness to the unique features of their host communities. New or expanding SSPs may benefit from technical assistance from the considerable expertise of those experienced in operating SSPs around the country. The panel highlighted operational characteristics that are critical for effective SSPs, and measures to be avoided because they undermine the primary goal of SSPs: to make new, sterile syringes available to Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWIDs).

Characteristics of Effective SSPs (6) 

Promote secondary syringe distribution

• Train and support peer educators
• Do not impose limits on number of syringes (doing so promotes sharing of needles)
• Maximize responsiveness to characteristics of the local PWID population
• Adapt planning activities and service modalities to subgroup needs
• Provide or coordinate the provision of other health and social services
• Used Syringes are Dangerous
• How to Clean Your Syringes 
• Include diverse community stakeholders in creating a social and legal environment supportive of SSPs
• SSP Practices to Avoid (6)
  
• Supplying single-use syringes
• Limiting frequency of visits and number of syringes
• Requiring one-for-one exchange (results in sharing of needles)
• Imposing geographic limits
• Restricting syringe volume with unnecessary maximums
• Requiring identifying documents
• Requiring unnecessary data collection

Naloxone (Narcan) Availability

Single Signature Naloxone Prescription: Purpose
Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help reduce morbidity and mortality associated with opioid overdose by dispensing naloxone to at-risk patients or their friends and family members, and educating them on the proper use of these products. This non-patient specific prescription (standing order) authorized by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH) establishes the protocol that allows Kentucky-licensed naloxone protocol trained pharmacists to dispense naloxone to at-risk patients and third parties in pharmacies located in Kentucky.

Process

Print the form below to be registered in the KDPH program. This non patient-specific prescription is valid for one year from the date authorized.
Download and Print the Single Signature Prescription Form

Naloxone

Naloxone (Narcan) is a prescription medication that can reverse an overdose that is caused by an opioid drug. When administered during an overdose, naloxone blocks the effects of opioids on the brain and restores breathing. It can be given as an injection into a muscle or as a nasal spray.

Where to get Naloxone in Ke​ntucky

Don't Let Them Die

Lethal overdoses claimed more than 1,400 lives in Kentucky last year, a 7.4 percent increase from 2015. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times more potent than heroin, was a factor in 623 deaths, while heroin contributed to 456 deaths. The highest number of fatalities occurred among people ages 35 to 44, followed by ages 45 to 54. Kentucky currently has the third highest overdose rate in the country and a recent study showed 80 percent of heroin users start with prescription opioids.

State government sponsors a website with information about opioids, treatment and the overdose antidote, naloxone. Officials plan to continue updating the website as new initiatives are announced.

Vulnerable Counties and Jurisdictions Experiencing or At-Risk of Outbreaks

For additional information on counties and jurisdictions that have been identified at-risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, please visit: CDC Vulnerable County Data