Help Stop AIDS

Los Angeles Pharmacists' Summit on Viral Diseases & Their Prevention ---- A BIG SUCCESS!

On February 24, 2008, The University of Southern Califonia and the Drug Policy Alliance brought together more than 60 pharmacists and healthcare professionals to learn about how harm reduction principles and over-the-counter sales of syringes at pharmacies can reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases. With an estimated 84,000 people in Los Angeles County still sharing drug injection equipment, the need for this event was evident and urgent.

The 2008 Los Angeles Pharmacists’ Summit on Viral Diseases and Their Prevention, organized by DPA’s Southern California Harm Reduction Coordinator Meghan Ralston, was co-sponsored and hosted by the University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy, and supported through a grant from the California Endowment. Sales of syringes to adults without a prescription have been legal throughout the county since last year via a program called the Disease Prevention Demonstration Project. The Pharmacists’ Summit was designed to educate pharmacists and generate interest in the program, with the goal of encouraging enrollment.

“The County’s best and most recent estimate is that there are around 1,600 people in the county who are HIV positive because they shared syringes and were exposed to the virus. With an additional estimated 1,700 people here currently living with AIDS because of sharing syringes, and over 80,000 still sharing their equipment, it was clear that we needed to do even more to drive home the point that pharmacy sale of syringes needs to happen now, at every pharmacy in the county,” said Ralston.

Physician Laveeza Bhatti, HIV researcher Dr. Stan Louie, pharmacist and Clean Needles Now board president Terry Hair, and Ralston presented information at the half-day event. The USC School of Pharmacy was delighted with attendees’ interest in the subject matter, and pleased that so many people turned out for the event on a rainy Sunday morning. Due to the strong success of the summit, DPA has been invited to work with USC again to create a similar event in the future.

“Syringe exchanges do great work and are essential in disease prevention, but unfortunately their hours and locations are really limited in L.A.,” said Ralston. “The Disease Prevention Demonstration Project will go a long way to helping to get sterile syringes to the people who need them."

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Welcome SPA Representatives & Service Providers!

Los Angeles County is home to 30% of the entire population of the state of California. Because of its size, the various areas of the county are sometimes referred to as a SPA (Service Provider Area) and then a number from 1 through 7. SPA 4, the Metro area of LA County (encompassing the Downtown, Hollywood and West Hollywood areas) has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS and people who inject drugs anywhere in the County.

We're working to create a new feature for our website which will allow case managers and outreach workers throughout the SPAs to click on their SPA number and instantly access all DPDP pharmacies, HIV/Hep C testing and treatment locations, syringe exchange and disposal sites and related services in their geographic region of the county. We're pleased to partner with you to better meet the needs of your clients who use syringes. Your feedback and active participation is essential. Let us know what you'd like to see. And check back often! We're adding new pharmacies and new content regularly.