The review was designed to assess:
o The existence of clinical governance and quality assurance policies and procedures
o Whether data collected regarding service users and needle exchange services met national and international standards
o Needle exchange activity in 2012
o Referral rates to healthcare and social services
o Needle exchange provision throughout the country

The following issues were considered in the review:
1. What is the nature of the service provided by the various types of programme?
2. How are needle exchanges distributed throughout Ireland?
3. What types of injecting and other drug-use paraphernalia are distributed?
4. Are there gaps in service provision and, if so, where are they?
5. What quality assurance policies and procedures are used on the needle exchange programme?
6. Does the data collected follow international and national requirements? Are there data gaps; and, if so, where are they?
7. What are the trends in newly diagnosed cases of HIV and Hepatitis C?