Injection Practices Campaign Warns Unsafe Syringe Reuse Is Not Uncommon

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published by the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion in the September 2017 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control reports that 12.4% of 370 surveyed physicians in 8 U.S. states indicated that at their workplaces, syringes had been used for more than one patient, and 5% reported that the practice is typical. This suggests that a dangerous minority of providers may be violating basic standards of care, underlining the need for additional training and education.

To address this issue, the CDC and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC) have developed the One & Only Campaign, a public health effort to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about safe injection practices. The campaign aims to eliminate the transmission of infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV resulting from unsafe injection practices. SIS has been an organizational member of the One & Only Campaign since 2014 and is committed to promoting safe injection practices.

Click here for information about the campaign and for additional resources.