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Our Cheshire and Merseyside DRD event will take place online on Thursday 26th September, click for more details.
Our NSP activity reports now include a monthly and weekly activity breakdown to track the impact of COVID19 restrictions on NSP service provision.
The annual report for the Integrated Monitoring System (IMS) details all activity across Cheshire and Merseyside for individuals in contact with drug or alcohol treatment/low threshold or syringe exchange services.
Our quarterly report which shows your IMS data in three distinct cohort groups, includes activity for the first quarter of the 2020-21 year and all activity for the last four quarters. Available on the 'Quarterly Reports' tab.
Our next Cheshire & Merseyside Drug Related Deaths area-wide event will take place as an online event on Thursday 26th September 2020.
More details are available on the DRD event page.
This year's annual IMS user group event took place on the 19th September 2019, at Liverpool John Moores University's Exchange Station.
As well as a summary of IMS activity for the past year and an overview of drug related death reporting, presentations were given by two IMS reporting services; the New Start 'RISE' Harm Reduction Service, and the Footsteps Project.
More details are available on the IMS user group event page.
Our 2018-19 IMS Annual Report covers activity recorded by 55 services and 95 pharmacies for individuals across Cheshire and Merseyside, and includes details within three distinct cohort groups: (1) individuals injecting pyschoactive drugs, (2) individuals injecting steroids or IPEDs, and (3) individuals using support services related to alcohol or non-injecting drug use.
This IMS report is also accompanied by a separate supplementary report which contains the supporting data tables.
"The number of individuals engaged in structured drug treatment programmes in England has declined over recent years, but this has been a trend which has occurred alongside another development, that of an increasing number of drug related deaths (DRDs), culminating last year with ONS reporting the highest number of DRDs on record. Delivery of needle and syringe programmes (NSP) in England is not monitored in the same way as drug treatment programmes, at least at a national level, but local monitoring systems provide information which points to a different picture than that which national drug treatment programme data might suggest."
The drug strategy sets out how the government and its partners, at local, national and international levels, will take new action to tackle drug misuse and the harms it causes.
Posted: 14 July 2017
RSPH are calling for measures aimed at moving UK drugs strategy away from a predominantly criminal justice approach towards one based on public health and harm reduction. Their report 'Taking a New Line on Drugs' proposes a new approach to UK drug policy, featuring opinion from PHI director Jim McVeigh.
Posted: 16 June 2016
Naloxone is the emergency antidote for overdoses caused by heroin and other opiates/opioids (such as methadone and morphine). The main life-threatening effect of heroin and other opiates is to slow down and stop breathing. Naloxone blocks this effect and reverses the breathing difficulties. On the 1 October 2015, new regulations came into force, which allows for widening of the availability of naloxone.
Posted: 10 November 2015
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued three new quality standards (QS82, QS83 & QS84) to encourage healthy living and reduce harm from smoking, alcohol and physical inactivity.
Posted: March 2015
PHE briefing regarding legal changes allowing the provision of foil by drug treatment and needle syringe exchange providers.
Posted: August 2014
NICE public health guidance update(PH52) containing recommendations on needle and syringe programmes
Posted: April 2014
Best practice guidance from the National Treatment Agency (NTA) for commissioners and providers of pharmaceutical services for drug users.
Posted: February 2006
