Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Copyright: 2008 The StarPhoenix Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400 Author: Pamela Cowan, Saskatchewan News Network; Regina Leader-Post MCMORRIS LAUNCHES NEEDLE EXCHANGE REVIEW REGINA -- To address sharp criticism of the province's needle exchange programs, Health Minister Don McMorris has launched an independent review of the programs. The Ministry of Health received complaints from organizations such as the Saskatoon Police Service about finding needles during the spring thaw, said Rick Trimp, the executive director of population health with Saskatchewan Health. "Due to a number of concerns that have been raised, the minister decided to launch a review of the needle exchange program to determine whether we are using the best practices for needle exchange in our cities," Trimp said. Laurence Thompson Strategic Consulting will review the needle exchange programs in seven health regions, with the largest operations in the Regina Qu'Appelle, Saskatoon and Prince Albert Parkland health regions. The review will be finalized by December. Thompson has a background in health services research. His previous positions include interim CEO of the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council and CEO of the Health Services Utilization and Research Commission. Although the province's needle exchange programs are reviewed annually, this review will be broader in scope and focus on the current patterns of needle exchange and historical trends, the best practices for needle exchange programs and interviews with program administrators, clients and community-based organizations such as police, firefighters and schools. During the 2007 spring cleanup, 645 loose needles were collected in Regina. In Saskatoon, 372 needles were picked up after the snow melted. In the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region in 2006-07, 1.9 million needles were handed out and 1.861 million were returned. In Saskatoon in 2006-07, about one million needles were issued and 873,000 were returned. Trimp didn't have statistics on the number of needles collected from playgrounds or back alleys for Prince Albert, but said 468,115 needles were issued in that city and 424,052 were returned. He said it's important to put the numbers in context. "Not everybody disposes of their needles back to the needle exchange van," he said. "You'll see people putting them into the sharps containers in public washrooms or into the other sharps containers that are distributed around the community." Needle exchange programs aim to reduce the sharing of unclean needles among injection drug users and prevent the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne pathogens. Saskatchewan Health recommends that if people find loose needles, they contact local public health offices or police. Trimp said that since the needle exchange program was implemented in 1999, no Saskatchewan residents have contracted HIV or hepatitis from a needle stick injury. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart