1. APhA encourages state legislatures and boards of pharmacy to revise laws, regulations, and policies to support the patient-centered care of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

2. To reduce the consequences of stigma associated with drug use, APhA supports the expansion of interprofessional harm reduction education in the curriculum of schools and colleges of pharmacy, postgraduate training, and continuing professional development programs.

3. APhA encourages pharmacists to initiate, sustain, and integrate evidence-based harm reduction principles and programs into their practice to optimize the health of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

4. APhA supports pharmacists' roles to provide and promote consistent, unrestricted, and immediate access to evidence-based, mortality- and morbidity-reducing interventions to enhance the health of people who inject nonmedically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances and their communities, including sterile syringes, needles, and other safe injection equipment, syringe disposal, fentanyl test strips, immunizations, condoms, wound care supplies, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), point-of-care testing for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), opioid reversal agents, and medications for opioid use disorder.

5. APhA urges pharmacists to refer people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances to specialists in mental health, infectious diseases, and substance use disorder treatment; to housing, vocational, harm reduction, and recovery support services; and to safe consumption facilities and syringe service programs.

Topic: Drug Abuse, Control And Education

(JAPhA. 59(4):e17; July/August 2019) (Reviewed 2021) (Reviewed 2022) (Reviewed 2023) (JAPhA 64(4);102117, July/August 2024)

1. APhA encourages state legislatures and boards of pharmacy to revise laws, regulations, and policies to support the patient-centered care of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

2. To reduce the consequences of stigma associated with drug use, APhA supports the expansion of interprofessional harm reduction education in the curriculum of schools and colleges of pharmacy, postgraduate training, and continuing professional development programs.

3. APhA encourages pharmacists to initiate, sustain, and integrate evidence-based harm reduction principles and programs into their practice to optimize the health of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

4. APhA supports pharmacists' roles to provide and promote consistent, unrestricted, and immediate access to evidence-based, mortality- and morbidity-reducing interventions to enhance the health of people who inject nonmedically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances and their communities, including sterile syringes, needles, and other safe injection equipment, syringe disposal, fentanyl test strips, immunizations, condoms, wound care supplies, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), point-of-care testing for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), opioid reversal agents, and medications for opioid use disorder.

5. APhA urges pharmacists to refer people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances to specialists in mental health, infectious diseases, and substance use disorder treatment; to housing, vocational, harm reduction, and recovery support services; and to safe consumption facilities and syringe service programs.

Topic: Education, Curriculum And Competence For Pharmacy

(JAPhA. 59(4):e17; July/August 2019) (Reviewed 2021) (Reviewed 2022) (Reviewed 2023) (JAPhA 64(4);102117, July/August 2024)

APhA supports collaboration with other interested health care organizations, public and environmental health groups, waste management groups, syringe manufacturers, health insurers, and patient advocacy groups to develop and promote safer systems and procedures for the disposal of used needles and syringes by patients outside of health care facilities.

Topic: Environmental Concerns

(JAPhA. NS41(5)(suppl 1):S9; September/October 2001) (Reviewed 2007) (Reviewed 2012) (Reviewed 2017) (Reviewed 2020) (Reviewed 2023) (Reviewed 2024)

1. APhA encourages state legislatures and boards of pharmacy to revise laws, regulations, and policies to support the patient-centered care of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

2. To reduce the consequences of stigma associated with drug use, APhA supports the expansion of interprofessional harm reduction education in the curriculum of schools and colleges of pharmacy, postgraduate training, and continuing professional development programs.

3. APhA encourages pharmacists to initiate, sustain, and integrate evidence-based harm reduction principles and programs into their practice to optimize the health of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

4. APhA supports pharmacists' roles to provide and promote consistent, unrestricted, and immediate access to evidence-based, mortality- and morbidity-reducing interventions to enhance the health of people who inject nonmedically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances and their communities, including sterile syringes, needles, and other safe injection equipment, syringe disposal, fentanyl test strips, immunizations, condoms, wound care supplies, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), point-of-care testing for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), opioid reversal agents, and medications for opioid use disorder.

5. APhA urges pharmacists to refer people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances to specialists in mental health, infectious diseases, and substance use disorder treatment; to housing, vocational, harm reduction, and recovery support services; and to safe consumption facilities and syringe service programs.

Topic: Interprofessional Relations

(JAPhA. 59(4):e17; July/August 2019) (Reviewed 2021) (Reviewed 2022) (Reviewed 2023) (JAPhA 64(4);102117, July/August 2024)

APhA supports collaboration with other interested health care organizations, public and environmental health groups, waste management groups, syringe manufacturers, health insurers, and patient advocacy groups to develop and promote safer systems and procedures for the disposal of used needles and syringes by patients outside of health care facilities.

Topic: Medical And Pharmaceutical Equipment And Products

(JAPhA. NS41(5)(suppl 1):S9; September/October 2001) (Reviewed 2007) (Reviewed 2012) (Reviewed 2017) (Reviewed 2020) (Reviewed 2023) (Reviewed 2024)

1. APhA encourages state legislatures and boards of pharmacy to revise laws, regulations, and policies to support the patient-centered care of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

2. To reduce the consequences of stigma associated with drug use, APhA supports the expansion of interprofessional harm reduction education in the curriculum of schools and colleges of pharmacy, postgraduate training, and continuing professional development programs.

3. APhA encourages pharmacists to initiate, sustain, and integrate evidence-based harm reduction principles and programs into their practice to optimize the health of people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances.

4. APhA supports pharmacists' roles to provide and promote consistent, unrestricted, and immediate access to evidence-based, mortality- and morbidity-reducing interventions to enhance the health of people who inject nonmedically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances and their communities, including sterile syringes, needles, and other safe injection equipment, syringe disposal, fentanyl test strips, immunizations, condoms, wound care supplies, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), point-of-care testing for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV), opioid reversal agents, and medications for opioid use disorder.

5. APhA urges pharmacists to refer people who use non-medically sanctioned psychotropic or psychoactive substances to specialists in mental health, infectious diseases, and substance use disorder treatment; to housing, vocational, harm reduction, and recovery support services; and to safe consumption facilities and syringe service programs.

Topic: Pharmacy Practice

(JAPhA. 59(4):e17; July/August 2019) (Reviewed 2021) (Reviewed 2022) (Reviewed 2023) (JAPhA 64(4);102117, July/August 2024)