From our earliest days, Meridian has supported a variety of harm minimisation practices to reduce the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne viruses in the ACT. One of the most effective ways of doing this has through the Needle & Syringe Program (NSP), a public health initiative that provides access to sterile injecting equipment, education and support to minimise risks.
Through the NSP, we promote harm minimisation, safety and wellbeing for people who inject drugs or self-administer injected medications.
During business hours, we are able to dispense:
- pre-packaged ‘8-packs’, containing 8 sterile needles and syringes, swabs, water, spoons and cotton wool with a sharps disposal container
- disposable sharps containers: 0.5L, 1.4L, 3L.
We have a large sharps disposal bin at the front of the Meridian office, available 24 hours and a range of information and resources for people who use drugs.
CanTEST Health & Drug Testing Service
Canberra has Australia’s first fixed-site health and drug checking service (also known as pill testing).
The CanTEST Health and Drug Checking Service is a free and confidential health and harm reduction service. You can access the service to discuss any health needs you may have with a nurse, and/or have your pills or drugs tested.
Illicit drug composition is varied and highly unpredictable. Makers of illicit drugs often combine them with other substances, or substitute drugs that are more dangerous. CanTEST can assist with chemical analysis of your pill or drug and help you to make a more informed decision about whether you still want to take the drug and how you manage the risks.
CanTEST operates on a harm-reduction basis. Illicit drugs are inherently unsafe and testing can’t certify that you won’t suffer an adverse reaction by taking them. Every individual responds differently.
CanTEST is operated by Directions Health Services in partnership with CAHMA and Pill Testing Australia, funded by the ACT Government.