Needle and Syringe Programs have been operational in the Australian Capital Territory since 1989. The Australian Capital Territory has two primary outlets (both operated by DIRECTIONS ACT), seven secondary outlets (including one mobile outreach service), 31 pharmacy based outlets, and four vending machines. Many NSPs have disposal facilities, with the exception of approximately half of the pharmacy NSPs. In addition, primary outlets provide a large range of ancillary services including information, education, referral, disposal and condoms. There is no discount for people who return packs to pharmacies.
- Number of NSPs - 44 (including pharmacies)
- Syringes distributed 1999-2008 - 4,989,520
- Average syringes per year - 498,952
- Total spending 2007/8 - $1,228,514
In 2007/8, 575,779 sterile needles and syringes were provided in the Australian Capital Territory: 103,000 were provided through pharmacies, 46,024 through vending machines. Vending machines are provided in the Australian Capital Territory under a commercial arrangement including lease of the machines and provision of stock. Pharmacists charge on average $2 per pharmacy pack sold. The number of NSP sites in the Australian Capital Territory is listed in Table 13. Table 14 reports the expenditure by financial year in 2008 dollars, unadjusted and adjusted for the consumer price index (CPI). As part of this spending, extra specific funding for the sector during 2007/8 is listed in Table 15.
Figure 24: Number of needles and syringes distributed in the Australian Capital Territory (1999-2008)
Text version of Figure 24
Figures in this description are approximate as they have been read from the graph.Number of syringes distributed in the Australian Capital Territory:
- 1999 - 500,000
- 2000 - 600,000
- 2001 - 540,000
- 2002 - 460,000
- 2003 - 480,000
- 2004 - 490,000
- 2005 - 470,000
- 2006 - 460,000
- 2007 - 500,000
- 2008 - 500,000
Table 13: Number of NSP sites in the Australian Capital Territory
| Primary | Secondary | Vending machine sites | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| 2006 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2 | 9 | |
| 2004 | 2 | 9 | |
| 2003 | 2 | 9 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 9 | |
| 2001 | 2 | 9 |
Table 14: Summary of expenditure in Australian Capital Territory NSPs (2000/1- 2007/8)
| 2000/1 | 2001/2 | 2002/3 | 2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumables - sterile injecting equipment ($'000) | 312 | 229 | 276 | 288 | 306 | 341 | 388 | 411 |
| Consumables - disposal equipment ($'000) | 25 | 19 | 61 | 32 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 42 |
| Consumables sub-total ($'000) | 337 | 247 | 337 | 320 | 343 | 378 | 427 | 453 |
| NSP support - primary NSP operations ($'000) | 152 | 199 | 236 | 236 | 280 | 283 | 324 | 619 |
| NSP support - support for secondary NSPs ($'000) | 0 | 64 | 55 | 48 | 58 | 60 | 50 | 47 |
| NSP support - transport ($'000) | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| NSP support - vending machines ($'000) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 59 | 63 |
| NSP support sub-total ($'000) | 152 | 265 | 296 | 291 | 343 | 366 | 438 | 732 |
| Total (unadjusted for CPI) ($'000) | 489 | 512 | 633 | 611 | 686 | 744 | 865 | 1,185 |
| Total in 2008 (adjusted for CPI) ($'000) | 618 | 628 | 753 | 710 | 777 | 820 | 924 | 1,229 |
Table 15: Additional expenditure on NSPs in the Australian Capital Territory (2007/8)
Table 15 is presented as a list in this HTML version for accessibility reasons.- Peer support and advocacy - $95,000
- Sharps hotline responses - $120,000
- Sharps inspection patrols of Syringe Vending Machines' (SVM) surrounding areas - $13,000
- Health info leaflet inserts in SVM fitpacks - $500
- Admin and policy support - $10,000
- Total - $238,500