Needle Exchange

When to use our needle exchange service

Use our free needle exchange service whenever you need clean injecting equipment or need to return used needles safely. No appointment, no ID and no GP registration required. Come in if you:

• Need sterile needles, syringes, filters, spoons or swabs
• Have a full sharps container to return
• Are collecting equipment on behalf of someone else
• Want confidential advice on safer injecting, testing or treatment services

Never put used needles in a household bin. That risks serious injury and infection to others.

What is a needle exchange service?

A needle and syringe programme (NSP) provides clean, sterile equipment free of charge and safely disposes of used equipment. The NHS recognises needle exchange as a vital way to reduce transmission of blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C, and to prevent infections and abscesses caused by unsafe injecting.

Needle exchange services help to:

• Reduce the spread of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• Prevent bacterial infections, abscesses and injection-related injuries
• Keep discarded needles out of public spaces
• Give a regular point of contact with healthcare professionals
• Encourage safer injecting through practical guidance

Evidence consistently shows these services do not encourage drug use. They act as a bridge into wider health care.

How it works

Visit any Allied Pharmacies branch offering the service during opening hours. Our trained staff will supply sterile equipment and a purpose-built sharps container, take back your used equipment for safe disposal, and answer any questions. No personal details are recorded, and nothing is shared with anyone, including your GP, unless you ask us to.

Health advice and extra support

• Testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV
• Safer injecting technique to reduce vein damage, abscesses and overdose risk
• Referral to local drug treatment services, counselling and support groups
• Naloxone, which can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose
• General health advice, including wound care and mental health support

Sharing equipment even once can transmit a blood-borne virus, and many people have no symptoms for years. Hepatitis C is common among people who inject drugs and is now curable in most cases with modern antiviral treatment, so early testing matters. Knowing the signs of overdose - slow or stopped breathing, blue lips, unresponsiveness - and having naloxone to hand saves lives.

Find a needle exchange near you

Our teams offer a welcoming, non-judgmental service with complete confidentiality, no appointment and no registration. Use the postcode search above to find your nearest Allied Pharmacy providing needle exchange.