Harm Reduction and Syringe Services Program (SSP)
San Francisco VA Health Care System's Harm Reduction and Syringe Services Program offers services to Veterans at San Francisco VA Medical Center and its 9 VA clinics located in downtown San Francisco, Oakland, San Bruno, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Clearlake, and Eureka. Our clinical pharmacist practitioner-led program aims to end drug-related stigma and discrimination in health care, prevent the spread of drug-related infections and overdose deaths, and increase connections to services.
Harm Reduction Education and Supplies
We offer harm reduction education and supplies through:
- Clinician and Veteran self-referrals
- Virtual and in-person outreach
- Prescription and non-prescription harm reduction supplies
- Mail-based and in-clinic distribution
Harm reduction supplies we offer include:
- Free naloxone kits – prescription required, contact us to get connected!
- Fentanyl test strips
- Safer injection supplies (e.g., sterile syringes, sharps containers, alcohol swabs, tourniquets, cookers, filters, ascorbic acid, sterile water)
- Safer sex supplies (e.g., condoms, XL condoms, lubricant, spermicidal gel)
- Wound care supplies (e.g., gloves, bandages, antibiotic ointment)
- Hygiene supplies (e.g., hand sanitizer, soap, washcloth tablets, deodorant, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, lip balm)
- Xylazine test strips (coming soon!)
- Safer smoking, snorting, and rectal use supplies (coming soon!)
Service Linkage
We help connect Veterans to services, including:
- Hepatitis testing, vaccines, and treatment
- HIV testing, PrEP, and PEP
- Therapy and medications for substance use, such as buprenorphine for opioid use disorder and nicotine replacement therapy
- LGBTQ services
- HUD-VASH services
- Community-based resources, including resources for civilians
Helpful Resources
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VA Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) resources
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VA Brochure Safer Injection Practices for People Who Inject Drugs
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VA HIV Resources
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VA Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease Resources
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VA Mental Health and Substance Use Resources
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Expanding Harm Reduction and Syringe Services Programs within VA
For more information:
Tessa Rife-Pennington PharmD, BCGP
Pain Management, Opioid Safety, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMOP) Facility Coordinator; Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner, HUD-VASH Integrated Substance Use Care Team; Volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor, UCSF School of Pharmacy; Facility Syringe Services Program (SSP) Lead
VA San Francisco health care
Phone: 415-319-1193
Email: Tessa.Rife@va.gov