Définition

Dictionnaire des drogues et dépendances,Larousse, 2004.

Sold or provided for free kit, especially in pharmacies or in some associations and specialised centres, which purpose is to limit the risks of infectious contaminations within intravenous drug users.

The first generation of prevention kit (SteriboxTM) was conceived by a French doctor, Elliot Imbert in 1991, and experimented at Ivry-Sur-Seine (Val-de Marne). At that time, It was called “the little City Hall’s box”. It as progressively introduced to France between 1992 and 1994, the year of its marketing in pharmacy, at 5 francs. Each kit contained two 1mL syringes, two ampoules of sterile water, two alcohol cotton pads, a condom and an instruction for use leaflet. A box was given for used syringe diposal.

A second generation of kit (Steribox2TM) was launched in 1999, following an investigation conducted by Apothicom which had shown that sharing the spoon and the filter used to prepare the mix leaded to other microbe infections, non prevented by the first kit. That is the reason why two specific tools have been added in the SteriboxTM: Stericup, an sterile single-use aluminium containe, replacing the spoon, a cotton filter and a dry sterile pad aiming at preventing the use of bare thumb to press for local hemostasis after injection. This kit is sold to users for 1 euro.

A third generation of kit includes an innovating filtering device, directly fitting on the syringes (Sterifilt TM).

Prevention fits have been conceived and proposed within the context of harm reduction policy. Though, SteriboxTM packaging has always carried general prevention messages. Thanks to Steribox, troubles associated with intravenous use (HIV contamination, viral hepatitis, different infections, etc). This devise plays an important role in public health. However, the free sale of these kits to major people in pharmacies or their availability through vending machines (DistriboxTM, TotemTM) on public paths (tokens sold by pharmacists) were not originally consensual, as opposed to distribution by accredited associations dealing with drug users

    • The impact of pharmacist’s actions : the British model
    • In countries where pharmacist got particularly involved in the drug use-related harm reduction policy, the drug users’ behaviours have significantly changed. In Great Britain, as soon as 1984, the sterile injection material was made more widely available, and hygiene information was given with these prevention tools. Thanks to these kinds of measures, seropositivity rates are the lowest in Europe.
    • SteriboxTM : an anti-AIDS kit
    • Besides clean material, the purpose of SteriboxTM is to communicate key prevention messages with the “instruction for use”, written on the packaging, to drug users. Thus, the bare information is given, even when the dialogue cannot be initiated.
    • SteriboxTM has been provided by pharmacies for many years. Through this kit, the pharmacist participates in a public health action while preserving a ordinary, discrete and anonymous commercial relationship. Enquiries show that the rapport between drug users and pharmacists has improved thanks to SteriboxTM, which represents the understanding of the drug users’ contamination issues.
    • The impact of SteriboxTM and all the other “secondary prevention” measures has been positively assessed: drug users’ habits have improved and the visits to healthcare facilities, particularly for requirement of HIV detection, have increased.
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If you ever encounter any problem with steribox : write the batch number down
and contact us ASAP at : infos@apothicom.org
Version Française USA