Harm Reduction (NSP)

NSP provides a comprehensive range of free sterile injecting equipment and disposal facilities, education on safe injecting practices and health promotion.

A person is putting a syringe into a yellow container.

NTAHC has 3 primary NSP’s offering a full range of injecting equipment to People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). We have been offering services to PWID since the early eighties. The primary aim of the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) is to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B & C and reduce the other harms associated with injecting drug uses.

NSPs sit within the National Drug Strategy which is broken down into 3 tiers and has been in operation since 1986. These are Harm Reduction, Supply Reduction and Demand Reduction.


NSP’s provide:

  • education and health promotion on safe injecting practices;
  • free sterile injecting equipment;
  • a range of sharps container for the safe disposal of used equipment and disposal facilities at each site for the disposal of used equipment after the fact;
  • free condoms and lube to promote safer sex; and
  • training by appointment for individuals and organisations on safe handling of used syringes and cleaning of blood and body fluid spills
Collection and disposal Dispensing unit Naloxone Program Health Promotions Downloadable Resources

NTAHC NSP’s are staffed by peers (current or ex-users) able to provide expert knowledge on various issues around drug use. It’s this peer to peer approach that keeps our NSP clients safe and well informed.

How to remain safe when using drugs

  • Opiates (Smack, harry, heroin, white horse, white lady, H, gear)

    The best idea would be to speak to your local NSP officer, but if that’s not an option at the time here’s some hints for staying safe: Never use alone and always find out the strength of the gear before you use it. Have a small taste first. You can always have more later. Always have everything you need available and in your reach prior to mixing up your drugs. Most importantly do this on a clean space with clean swabbed spoons and other utensils to be used. Make sure you have washed your hands and arms prior to mixing up- think of all the things you have touched before you go to make a mix. Bacteria hangs around on the outside of our skin naturally and needs to be cleaned off properly with soap and water.


    The same goes for your mixing space wiping with a clean cloth with disinfectant is good. Swabbing the space can take a while and is not advisable. If you use a tourniquet do not do it up that tight that it cuts of your artery flow as well, as this defeats the purpose. Just loose enough to cut off supply the vein is fine. Avoid injecting into legs and hands as these are smaller veins and likely to burst. Inject into the vein on angle so it doesn’t roll out of the way and remove the tourniquet before pushing in the plunger. Relax, it’s all over. As soon as you can recap your needle so no one else picks it up or uses it. Tidy up your space afterwards. That way it’s ready for the next one.

  • Amphetamine ( Ice, Goey, speed, uppers, go, wizz, rock, meth, crystal)

  • Steriods (Roids)

    Steroids come in various formulations from powders to liquids and are only to be injected intramuscular. Most contain some form of oil, which if this got into your arteries could cause a blockage and the area (usually fingers and toes) would start to deteriorate from lack of blood eventually leading to gangrene. The best place to inject is the upper right or left quadrant of the buttocks. No, your muscles will not get bigger if you inject into your bicep or shoulder muscle or anywhere else. In fact you run more of a risk of injecting into a vein or artery if you do.


    Always use a long gauge needle about 1 ¼” size (23 gauge) to inject with. Don’t be shy about talking with other body builders about their experiences and steroids before trying them on yourself. There is no magic cure to make you big. It’s a lot of hard work and eating correctly is what does it.

Collection and disposal

NSP's and sterile injecting equipment in the NT and around Australia can be found at the Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League. 

Pharmacies you can buy fit kits from


Pharmacy outlets provide a limited range of injecting equipment for sale.

Some also have disposal facilities.

  • Darwin

    Stuart Park Pharmacy

    Westralia St, Stuart Park

    08 8981 8075


    Winnellie Safemart Pharmacy

    357 Stuart Highway, Winnellie

    08 8981 6888


    Winnellie Compounding Pharmacy

    Winnellie Shopping Centre

    08 8981 6888


    Wizard Pharmacy Casuarina

    Casuarina Square

    08 7942 8000


    Hibiscus Day and Night Pharmacy

    Hibiscus Shopping Centre

    08 8945 5955

  • Darwin Rural

    Palmerston Superclinic

    "3 Gurd St, Farrar"

    08 8932 6060


    Howard Springs Pharmacy

    Howard Springs Shopping Centre

    08 8983 3788


    Better Health Pharmacy Coolalinga

    Coolalinga Shopping Centre

    08 8983 2215


    Amcal H’Doo Pharmacy

    Humpty Doo Shopping Centre

    08 8988 2201


    Berry Springs Pharmacy

    Berry Springs Shopping Village

    08 8988 6575

  • Alice Springs

    Priceline Pharmacy

    Alice Plaza

    08 8953 0089


    Alice Springs Pharmacy

    Yeperenye Shopping Centre

    08 8952 1554


    United Discount Chemist

    Coles Complex – Bath St

    08 8952 4173


    Northside Pharmacy

    3/6 Hearne Pl, Braitling

    08 8952 0064

  • Down the Track

    Katherine Pharmacy

    Oasis Shopping Centre

    08 8972 3310


    Gove Pharmacy

    Endeavour Square (PO Box 546)

    08 8987 1155

Free injecting Equipment


The NTAHC NSPs supply a comprehensive range of free sterile injecting equipment, disposal facilities and health education resources.

  • Darwin

    Darwin NTAHC NSP

    1 Searcy St, Darwin NT 0800. 

    Open 8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday

    Ph (08) 8944 7777

    Google Maps Link 


    Clinic 34 Darwin

    Red Wing, Building 4, Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) campus

    105 Rocklands Drive, Tiwi 0810

    Opening hours

    Monday: 8:30am – 3:30pm

    Tuesday: 8:30am – 3:30pm

    Wednesday: 10:30 - 3:30pm

    Thursday: 8:30am – 3:30pm

    Friday: 8:30am – 3pm


    Ph (08) 8999 2678

  • Palmerston

    Palmerston NTAHC NSP

    Suite 7, 3 Gurd St, Palmerston Health Precinct, Farrar NT 0830

    Open 9:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. Closed for lunch 1:00pm to 1:30pm. 

    Ph 08) 8931 3676




  • Alice Springs

    Alice Springs NTAHC NSP 

    Shop 3 Reg Harris Lane, Todd Mall, Alice Springs NT 0870

    Open 8:30 am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday. Closed for lunch 12:00 to 1:00pm. 

    Ph 08) 8953 3172


    Clinic 34 Alice Springs 

    Building 2 (ADSCA) Stuart Terrace, Alice Springs NT 0870

    Open 8:30am to 3:30pm Monday to Thursday. 8:30am to 3:00pm Friday

    Ph 08) 8951 7549


  • Down the track

    Clinic 34 Katherine

    Katherine Hospital, Gorge Road Katherine NT 0852

    Open 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday

    Ph 08) 8973 9049


    Clinic 34 Nhulunbuy 

    Cnr Mathew Flinders Way & Chesterfield Court, Nhulunbuy NT 0880

    Open 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday

    Ph 08) 8987 0357


    Clinic 34 Tennant Creek

    Tennant Creek Hospital, Schmidt Street Tennant Creek NT 0861

    Open 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday to Friday

    Ph 08) 8962 4259


    Hospital Emergency Departments

    A limited range of sterile injecting equipment can be accessed at all NT Hospital Emergency Departments except for Royal Darwin Hospital.


    Alice Springs Hospital Emergency - 08) 8951 7549

    Katherine Hospital Emergency – 08) 8973 9211

    Nhulunbuy Hospital Emergency – 08) 8987 0211

    Tennant Creek Emergency – 08) 8962 4399


Where do I dispose of my used equipment?


You can dispose of your used equipment in community sharps bins located at all 3 NTAHC sites in Darwin, Alice Springs and Palmerston.

  • Darwin

    Darwin NSP.  One is located outside the NSP entrance.

    Address: 1 Searcy street, Darwin City, NT 0812

    Google Maps Link 


    Darwin City Council (City of Darwin) provides sharps disposal (single syringes or other sharps) in most public facilities across Greater Darwin.


    These bins are serviced by NTAHC under contract and their locations are listed below.


    Single Sharps Disposal


    Darwin CBD

    • Esplanade Exeloo - near Cenotaph
    • Esplanade Exeloo - Bicentennial Park
    • Paspalis Exeloo, Austin Lane - male & female toilets
    • DCC Library, Civic Centre - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Civic Park Exeloo (behind Brown's Mart) - male & female toilets
    • West Lane / Vic Arcade - male, female & disabled toilets

    Greater Darwin

    • Parap Markets - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Parap Pool - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Mindil Beach, High School end - male & female toilets
    • Mindil Beach, Casino end - male & female toilets
    • Vesty’s Beach Exeloo
    • East Point Reserve - male and female toilets
    • Nightcliff Markets - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Bagot Park Oval - male & female toilets
    • Rapid Creek Foreshore Exeloo (opposite Beachfront Hotel)
    • Nightcliff Foreshore Exeloo (near swimming pool)
    • Nightcliff Pool - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Sunset Park Exeloo (near Nightcliff jetty)
    • Jingili Water Gardens - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Casuarina Library - disabled toilet
    • Casuarina Pool - male, female & disabled toilets
    • Anula Oval - male, female & disabled toilets

  • Palmerston

    The 24 hour access bin is located outside the NSP entrance. 


    Address: Suite 7, 3 Gurd St, Palmerston Health Precinct, Farrar NT 0830

  • Alice Springs

    The 24 hour access bin is located in the Flynn Church Carpark.


    Address: 50 Todd St, Alice Springs NT 0870

A poster that says `` diy sharps container '' on it
A poster about safe handling and disposal of used needles

24 Hour Dispensing unit

After Hours Dispensing Units for the NSP aims to improve access to sterile injecting equipment to prevent blood-borne virus transmission and injecting-related injury and infection.

Darwin - 1 Searcy St Next to the NSP entrance (next to 24 hour access bin)

Palmerston - Next to the NSP entrance (next to the 24 hour access bin)

Alice Springs - Outside of the Alice Springs Hospital Emergency Department

Humpty Doo - Behind Ironbark, Humpty Doo Central Complex

Katherine - Clinic 34 Floor 1, O'Keefe House, Katherine Hospital campus

Tennant Creek - Clinic 34, Tennant Creek Hospital

Nhulunbuy - Clinic 34,corner Mathew Flinders Way & Chesterfield Cct

A poster for a nsp 24hr dispenser with free tokens

Free Take Home Naloxone Program

NTAHC Free Take Home Naloxone Program aims to get Naloxone into the hands of people who are likely to witness and respond to an accidental opioid overdose.


Naloxone is a safe lifesaving medication that may reverse an opioid overdose.

Naloxone is can be accessed at one of NTAHCs Needle and Syringe programs (NSP)in Alice Springs, Palmerston or Darwin or at selected pharmacies

Naloxone is available in a nasal spray with the name Nyxoid. 

 

To access free Naloxone from NTAHC


  • Attend a NTAHC NSP and undergo a brief intervention where NSP staff will assess your competence to administer Naloxone and provide training on responding to an opioid overdose.
  • NSP staff will supply you with a Naloxone kit that consists of the nasal spray and instructions on responding to an opioid overdose.



A poster that says free naloxone available here take home a pack today

Take Home Naloxone (THN) Participating Sites by State/Territory

Note: some providers registered for the THN Program may currently have limited naloxone stock. Please contact each site to check they have stock, prior to attending.

  Priceline Pharmacy Alice Springs

 Shop 3 & 4, Alice Plaza, Todd Mall

   Northside Pharmacy

 Shop 3, 6 Hearne Place, North Stuart Highway

   Alice Springs Pharmacy

 Shop 46, Yeperenye Shopping Centre, 36-38 Hartley St

   United Chemists Alice Springs

 Shop 28, Coles Complex, Bath St

   Blooms The Chemist, Bakewell

 Shop 8/1 Mannikan Court

   Chemist Warehouse Darwin

 Shop 4, The Zone Darwin, 798 Vanderlin Drive

   Berry Springs Pharmacy

 Shop B4, Berry Springs Shopping Village, 10 Doris Road

   Chemist Warehouse Casuarina

 Shop 3 to 4, 4 Rowling St

   Wizard Pharmacy Casuarina

 Shop GD 033 Casuarina Square, 247 Trower Rd

   Amcal Max Casuarina

 3/11 Vanderlin Drive

   Better Health Pharmacy Coolalinga

 Shop 2 Woolworth Shopping Centre, Stuart Highway

   Chemist Warehouse Coolalinga Central

 Shops T34 and T35, Coolalinga Central, 425 Stuart Highway

   Chemist Warehouse Darwin GPO

 Part of 48 Cavenagh Street

   Chemist Warehouse Darwin - Mitchell Street

 Tenancy 2, 3, 4, 5, Mitchell Centre, 55-59 Mitchell St

   Blooms The Chemist Darwin Plaza

 Shop 1, Woolworths Complex, 47 Cavenagh St,

   Blooms The Chemist Darwin Galleria

 Shop 1&2, The Galleria Smith St Mall, 35-37 Smith St

   Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council - Darwin

 46 Woods St

   Chemist Warehouse Durack

 Shop 7 & 8, 130 University Avenue

   Palmerston Superclinic Pharmacy

 Shop 1, Palmerston Superclininic, 3 Gurd St

   Territory Pharmacy Palmerston

 Shop 20-21, Oasis Shopping Village, 15 Temple Terrace

   PharmaSave Katherine Pharmacy

 Shop 13, Katherine Central, First Street

   Territory Pharmacy Terrace

 2/32 Katherine Tce

   Hibiscus Pharmacy

 Shops 4, Hibiscus Shopping Town, 8 Leanyer Drive

   Chemist Warehouse Ludmilla

 187 Bagot Rd

   Chemist Warehouse Marrara - Northlakes Shopping Centre

 Shop 1, Northlakes Shopping Centre, 1 Links Road

   Nightcliff Pharmacy

 Shop 9-12 Nightcliff Shopping Centre, 159 Dickward Drive

   Palmerston Health Centre Pharmacy

 1/6 Maluka Drive

   United Chemists Tennant Creek

 123 Paterson Street

   Territory Pharmacy Northpharm

 Shop 1 & 2 Royal Darwin Hosp, Rocklands Dr

   HPS Pharmacies Darwin

 Darwin Private Hospital, Rocklands Road

   Winnellie Country Wellness Pharmacy

 Shop 18 Winnellie Shopping Centre, 347 Stuart Highway

 

Education and Training

Our Harm Reduction team provide several Workshops.

Destigmatisation Training

By James Emery • January 19, 2021
Destigmatisation Training This training aims to increase knowledge and skills in working with people who use drugs (PWUD). What we cover: Explore and reflect on personal perceptions and beliefs of people who use drugs Identify how these perceptions and beliefs affect behaviour and interactions with patients and clients Safely challenge personally held stereotypes using evidence Develop empathy for people who use drugs by sharing lived experiences Identify strategies to reshape patient and client interactions into more positive therapeutic relationships.. Audience: This training is designed for any staff that work with PWUD, including clinicians and non-clinicians such as community services, AOD services and any other health care services.  Session plan is delivered over 2 hours, however, we can provide tailored short and intensive sessions on request. Locations: Darwin. For training needs, we can come to you across the NT if budget permits or we can arrange a session in Darwin City. Register your interest via our online form:

NSP & Cultural Safety

By James Emery • December 16, 2020
NSP & Cultural Safety Deliver a Power Point and talk to CDU Nursing Students about what we do in the Northern Territory AIDs and hepatitis Council's Needle and Syringe Program in regard to Cultural Safety. Locations: Darwin. For training needs, we can come to you across the NT if budget permits or we can arrange a session in Darwin City. Register your interest via our online form:
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