Order a harm reduction kit online. Experience of Novosibirsk, Russia
Practice of online distribution of harm reduction kits for people who use drugs using pharmacy certificates in Novosibirsk.
Since 2018, the Novosibirsk regional organization “Humanitarian Project” has been implementing the “Positive Strategies” program, the main task of which is to provide the groups most vulnerable to HIV infection with a low-threshold HIV-related service: testing, prevention, treatment, psychological and social assistance.
People who use drugs can obtain a pharmacy certificate from a peer consultant and at other low-threshold points of the organization, as well as with delivery to the pick-up point of the client’s choice. You can order it through Telegram (http://t.me/narconsk/400).
The certificate can be exchanged in one of the large pharmacy chains in the Novosibirsk region for sterile syringes, water for injection, alcohol wipes, heparin ointment, vitamins, troxerutin, adhesive plaster, chlorhexidine.
The certificates list all the goods that can be obtained at the pharmacy, the addresses of the pharmacies, a hotline for people who use drugs (which is assigned a peer counselor on chemical dependence and HIV).
The first year (2019) of using the certificates showed that in 65% of the cases when the certificates were purchased, the “purchase” contained syringes, which indicates the demand for this service among the target group.
