High demand for new peptide-specific injecting kits at pharmacies participating in Health New Zealand's Needle Exchange Programme (NEP) highlights the importance of harm prevention in keeping people safe and healthy.
Since being introduced on 15 September, over 2300 new peptide-specific injecting kits have been distributed to around 190 pharmacies and regional needle exchange providers. The NEP is a longstanding public health initiative aiming to reduce the transmission of blood-borne infections and other injecting-related harm, by providing access to free sterile equipment, education, and harm reduction advice.
"The uptake of the new kits reflects the significant demand for equipment tailored to peptide injecting," Director, Maternity, Child, Youth and Prevention, Deborah Woodley said.
"By providing access to appropriate, free, sterile injecting equipment, we can help reduce the risk of infections and other injection-related harm.
"However, access to sterile injecting equipment does not imply endorsement of unapproved peptide use by Health NZ. Peptides that are being promoted on social media with claims of weight loss, anti-aging, muscle building and tanning effects, can carry significant risks, particularly where products are unregulated or obtained through unofficial channels.
"Many are injectable, unapproved medicines imported without a prescription. There is growing concern around unapproved use, as peptides are largely untested and there is no assurance of manufacturing quality or contents.
"Our focus is on reducing preventable harm and ensuring people have access to accurate information and safer injecting equipment," Woodley said.
The packs can be ordered by participating pharmacies using the same process already in place for ordering other NEP equipment.
Each peptide kit contains equipment including syringes, needles, a returns container, and an information leaflet.
People who inject peptides should dispose of their used equipment in the returns container in the pack and then drop the container off at their nearest pharmacy or NEP provider.
Alongside the introduction of the new packs, Health NZ is developing educational resources for both providers and clients, such as risks associated with unapproved peptide use, safer injecting practices, infection prevention and hygiene and the safe disposal of used injecting equipment.