An analysis of the experiences and motivations of clients accessing Sydney's Medically Supervised Injecting Centre and the factors facilitating or inhibiting service uptake and retention

$7,000
Sydney's Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) has operated since 2001. Like other supervised injection facilities (SIFs) or drug consumption rooms (DCR), it provides a place where people who inject drugs (PWIDs) can safely inject pre-obtained drugs. Such harm reduction services aim to lower fatal overdose and HIV and HCV transmission rates, improve PWIDs' health and wellbeing through referral into treatment programs, and increase public amenity and safety by reducing street-based drug use (Hedrich et al. 2010; IWG 2006; NCHECR 2007; Salmon et al. 2007, 2010; Thein et al. 2005). An evaluation of the MSIC (the only service of this type in Australia) confirmed that it 'positively impacts on clients, has a high level of support from local residents and businesses, has not been shown to cause an increase in local crime or drug use and saves at least $658,000 per annum over providing similar health outcomes through other means in the health system' (KPMG 2010, p. ix). Still, challenges exist for SIFs such as the MSIC in delivering harm reduction to the most marginalised and vulnerable of PWIDs.