Number of pharmacies offering  needle exchange scheme to drug addicts set to fall by 25%

Needle exchange service at pharmacies provide sterile equipment to drug addicts as a harm reduction initiative.

The number of pharmacies providing drug needle exchange programmes could fall by a quarter in the coming years, with a new report calling for the scheme to consider broadening its scope — including allowing for the provision of sterile crack pipes.

A new report for the HSE has shown a 7% fall in the number of people using the programme, first introduced in 2011, while the number of pharmacies engaged with the programme has fallen by 18% since 2015. The number of needle exchange packs dispensed per month also fell in 2022, as did the number of sterile needles provided.