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Meyerson BE, Agley J, Crosby RA, Bentele KG, Vadiei N, Linde-Krieger LB, Russell DR, Fine K, Eldridge LA. ASAP: A pharmacy-level intervention to increase nonprescription syringe sales to reduce bloodborne illnesses. Res Social Adm Pharm 2024:S1551-7411(24)00157-8. [PMID: 38734511 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacy syringe sales are effective structural interventions to reduce bloodborne illnesses in populations, and are legal in all but two states. Yet evidence indicates reduced syringe sales in recent years. This study was designed as a feasibility test of an intervention to promote syringe sales by pharmacies in Arizona. METHODS A four-month pilot among three Arizona pharmacies measured feasibility and acceptability through monthly surveys to 18 enrolled pharmacy staff members. RESULTS Pharmacy staff reported increased ease of dispensing syringes across the study. Rankings of syringe dispensing as 'easiest' among 6 measured pharmacy practices increased from 38.9 % at baseline to 50.1 % post intervention module training, and to 83.3 % at pilot conclusion. The majority (72.2 %) of pharmacy staff agreed that intervention materials were easy to use. Over 70 % indicated that the intervention was influential in their "being more open to selling syringes without a prescription to someone who might use them for illicit drug use," and 61.1 % reported that in the future, they were highly likely to dispense syringes to customers who would use them to inject drugs. A vast majority (92 %) reported being likely to dispense subsidized naloxone if available to their pharmacy at no cost. CONCLUSIONS An education-based intervention was found to be feasible and acceptable to pharmacy staff and had an observed impact on perceptions of ease and likelihood of dispensing syringes without a prescription to people who may use them to inject drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- B E Meyerson
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Comprehensive Center for Pain and Addiction, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - J Agley
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - R A Crosby
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - K G Bentele
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Southwest Institute for Research on Women, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - N Vadiei
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Pharmacotherapy Division, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - L B Linde-Krieger
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Comprehensive Center for Pain and Addiction, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - D R Russell
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Fine
- Arizona Pharmacy Association, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - L A Eldridge
- Harm Reduction Research Lab, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine-Tucson, Tucson, University of Arizona, USA; Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
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Agley J, Xiao Y. Low trust in science may foster belief in misinformation by aligning scientifically supported and unsupported statements. Perspect Public Health 2023; 143:199-201. [PMID: 37589323 DOI: 10.1177/17579139221136722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Agley
- Prevention Insights, Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington, 809 E. 9 St., Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Y Xiao
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Agley J, Xiao Y, Thompson EE, Golzarri-Arroyo L. Factors associated with reported likelihood to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in a nationally representative US survey. Public Health 2021; 196:91-94. [PMID: 34171616 PMCID: PMC8157318 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Although general principles related to vaccination hesitancy have been well researched, reports on reluctance to be vaccinated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States are somewhat surprising, given the disease's substantive disruption of everyday life. However, the landscape in which people are making COVID-19 vaccination decisions has recently evolved with releases of encouraging vaccine-related data and changes to official messaging about the virus. Therefore, this study sought to identify factors associated with reported likelihood to get vaccinated for COVID-19 among US adults in late January 2021. Study design We used the Prolific online research panel to survey a nationally representative sample of 1017 US adults. Methods Respondents were asked about their behavioral intentions toward COVID-19 vaccination, trust in science, perceptions related to COVID-19, and selected sociodemographic factors. We computed associations between those 11 independent variables and likelihood to get vaccinated for COVID-19 using multiple linear regression. Results Around 73.9% of respondents indicated at least some likelihood to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Trust in science and perceived seriousness of COVID-19 were positively associated with intention to get vaccinated, and identifying as Black or African American was negatively associated with intention to get vaccinated. Other factors were moderately, weakly, or not at all associated with intention. Conclusions Building trust in science and truthfully emphasizing the seriousness of catching COVID-19 should be further researched for their potential to support campaigns to encourage COVID-19 vaccination. Data continue to suggest the importance of dialogue with Black communities about COVID-19 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Agley
- Prevention Insights, Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA.
| | - Y Xiao
- School of Social Work, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA; School of Social Work, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - E E Thompson
- Media School, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - L Golzarri-Arroyo
- Biostatistics Consulting Center, School of Public Health Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
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