What Exchange Supplies does

Exchange Supplies is a UK-based, privately held social enterprise founded in 2002 by Andrew Preston, headquartered in Dorchester, Dorset. The company manufactures and supplies harm reduction equipment — primarily syringes, needles, sharps containers, naloxone products, drug test strips, and sterile single-use citric and vitamin C sachets — to NHS drug treatment services, needle exchange programmes, healthcare professionals, and individual drug users. Its proprietary Nevershare syringe (the world's first syringe designed specifically for injecting drug users, with coloured plungers to reduce accidental sharing) and the Unisharp fixed needle syringe range are the core technical differentiators, alongside low-dead-space needle and syringe variants and the Total Dose product line. The company is MHRA-licensed, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, and an approved supplier on NHS Supply Chain.

The business operates primarily as a direct e-commerce retailer through exchangesupplies.org, shipping worldwide (UK, Europe, US, Australia, India, Singapore, UAE, Ireland, Canada) and offering trade accounts for regular drug service customers. Complementary revenue streams include the NSPdirect postal equipment supply service, harm reduction publications and DVDs (zero-rated for VAT), the free Exchange Training e-learning platform, and branded merchandise supporting drug law reform campaigns (e.g., Nice People Take Drugs t-shirts, with proceeds partly donated to Release). Pricing is unit-based with volume discounts; a few products like naloxone kits retail at £26-£40 while consumables such as booklets are priced at £2-£3 per unit at volume. Free UK standard delivery is offered above £30.

Customer segments span two primary groups: institutional (government-funded needle exchange programmes and drug treatment services purchasing through trade accounts and NHS Supply Chain) and end-users (injecting drug users, steroid users, and healthcare professionals buying direct). The company maintains a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led e-commerce, enterprise field sales to NHS and drug services, and a community-led social mission that includes free harm reduction training and employment opportunities for drug users. No external funding, parent company, or institutional investor is disclosed.

Name

Exchange Supplies

Legal name

Exchange Supplies Ltd

Website

https://exchangesupplies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Exchange Supplies is a UK social enterprise that manufactures and distributes harm reduction supplies — including the proprietary Nevershare syringe, Unisharp needles, naloxone kits, and drug test strips — to NHS drug services, needle exchange programmes, healthcare professionals, and individual drug users worldwide via direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Harm Reduction Medical Equipment

NAICS

Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423450), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical, Dental & Lab Supply Marketplaces (CRAFAHAG)

Keywords

• Harm reduction supplies
• Syringes and needles
• Injecting equipment
• Naloxone products
• Drug test strips

Headquarters

HQ city

Dorchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of injecting equipment including syringes, needles, sharps bins, citric/VitC sachets, spoons, filters, and other paraphernalia. Products sold to needle exchanges, drug services, and individuals.
2. Publications and Educational Materials: Sale of harm reduction publications, booklets, DVDs, and training materials covering topics such as safer injecting, overdose prevention, methadone treatment, and hepatitis C.
3. Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts (Nice People Take Drugs campaign), with donations to Release charity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Exchange Supplies is a UK-based social enterprise that manufactures and distributes harm reduction equipment for injecting drug users, needle exchange programmes, and drug treatment services. The product range centres on proprietary syringes (including the Nevershare range — the world's first syringe designed specifically for injecting drug users with coloured plungers) and fixed-needle Unisharp syringes, alongside needles, low dead space products, sharps containers, naloxone overdose reversal products, drug test strips, and harm reduction publications. The company also provides the NSPdirect postal supply service and free e-learning training resources.

Product overview

Exchange Supplies is a harm reduction supplies company operating as a social enterprise, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products for injecting drug users, needle exchange programmes, and drug services. The core product offering centres on the proprietary Nevershare syringe (the world's first syringe designed specifically for injecting drug users with coloured plungers to reduce sharing) and the Unisharp fixed needle syringe range. The product portfolio includes: needles and syringes in various gauges and sizes; low dead space products (Total Dose needles, Sterifilt filters); sharps disposal containers; naloxone products (Prenoxad injection kit, Nyxoid nasal spray); drug test strips (fentanyl, xylazine, nitazene, medetomidine); essential equipment kits; crack pipes and accessories; foil for heroin smoking; and citric/VitC sachets. Beyond physical products, the company provides harm reduction publications and DVDs covering overdose prevention, safer injecting, hepatitis C, HIV, and treatment options, along with e-learning training platforms and the NSPdirect postal supply service. The portfolio is complemented by merchandise supporting drug law reform campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nevershare: Brand of syringes developed by Exchange Supplies - the world's first syringe designed specifically for injecting drug users with coloured plungers to reduce accidental sharing
• Unisharp
• NSPdirect
• Exchange Training

Products and services

• Nevershare Syringe The world's first syringe designed specifically for injecting drug users, featuring coloured plungers to reduce accidental sharing. Available in 1mL and 2mL sizes with fixed needle configurations, sold to needle exchange programmes, drug services, and individual drug users.
• Unisharp Fixed Needle Syringes Own brand of fixed needle syringes available in various sizes (0.3mL, 0.5mL, 1mL) and gauge sizes (29G-32G), including low dead space variants, designed for safer injecting.
• Unisharp Needles Hypodermic needles available in various gauges (22G-30G) and lengths (13mm-38mm) for different injection requirements.
• Total Dose Low Dead Space Needles Low dead space needles designed to minimise drug residue and reduce cross-contamination risk between users, available in 25G, 27G, and 30G variants.
• Sharps Containers Puncture resistant and lockable sharps bins for safe disposal of used needles and syringes, available in compact and medium sizes, including the UniCASE secure carrier.
• Sterifilt Filters Filters for removing bacteria and particulates from drug solutions before injection. Available in ORIGINAL, FAST, and PLUS variants.
• Prenoxad Naloxone Injection Kit Naloxone kit with pre-filled syringe for reversing opiate overdose, supplied in an easy-to-use format for emergency administration by lay responders and professionals.
• Nyxoid Naloxone Nasal Spray Easy-to-use nasal spray for emergency use after overdose of heroin or other opioid drugs, containing 1.8mg naloxone per dose (2 sprays per pack).
• Drug Test Strips Rapid test strips for detecting drugs including fentanyl, xylazine, nitazene, and medetomidine in drug supplies, sold individually and as a multi-drug XL rapid urine test.
• Harm Reduction Publications and DVDs Educational publications and DVDs covering overdose prevention, safer injecting, hepatitis C, HIV, vein care, methadone treatment, and drug policy. Includes titles such as The Safer Injecting Handbook, The Methadone Handbook, Staying Alive, and harm reduction works film collections.
• Essential 10 Packs Pre-assembled injecting equipment kits containing syringes, needles, citric/VitC sachets, swabs, and sharps bins, available for 1mL and 2mL configurations.
• Steroid Injecting Equipment Specialised kits and equipment for steroid injection including 12-week cycle kits with varying injection frequencies and pre-injection alcohol swabs.
• Crack Pipes and Accessories Glass pipes, gauzes, mouthpieces, and pipe cases for safer crack cocaine use, including Terpan Long and Short pipe kits.
• Foil Aluminium foil sheets and rolls for heroin smoking, available in packs of 5, 20, or 50 sheets, and 5-metre roll.
• Citric and VitC Sachets Sterile sachets of citric acid and vitamin C for dissolving heroin before injection.
• Water for Injections Sterile 2mL water ampoules for dissolving drugs before injection, supplied under MHRA Medicines Wholesale Dealers Licence.
• NSPdirect Postal Equipment Supply Postal needle and syringe programme service allowing drug services to supply equipment to service users by post.
• E-Learning Training Platform Online training courses and assessments for harm reduction education, including naloxone administration training for Prenoxad and Nyxoid, delivered through training.exchangesupplies.org.
• Nice People Take Drugs T-shirts Official Release campaign t-shirts with the 'Nice People Take Drugs' slogan, available in multiple colours and sizes, with £5 from each sale donated to Release charity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced accidental syringe sharing through coloured plunger design
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ReleasecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExchange Supplies sells Nice People Take Drugs campaign t-shirts on behalf of Release, a UK drug charity. £5 from each t-shirt sale is donated to Release. This partnership supports drug law reform and harm reduction advocacy.
• Neutral.comminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEthical t-shirt manufacturer that produces the Nice People Take Drugs campaign merchandise. The t-shirts are made from organic cotton.
• National Addiction CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the National Addiction Centre to develop the Naloxone Leaflet as part of a Naloxone research project.
• NHS Supply ChaincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExchange Supplies is an approved supplier through NHS Supply Chain, providing harm reduction equipment to the UK healthcare system.
• Department of HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious campaigns and materials (including Keep Walking and Harm Reduction Works) were funded by the Department of Health.
• DrugScopeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with DrugScope on overdose prevention materials as part of the Department of Health funded 'making harm reduction work' campaign.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICU Medical (formerly Smiths Medical): Medical device company with a dedicated syringe and needle division historically known as Smiths Medical. Direct product overlap in fixed-needle syringes and injection safety devices for clinical use.
• Terumo Corporation: Japanese medical device manufacturer producing hypodermic needles, syringes, and blood-bag components. Directly competes with Unisharp and Nevershare syringe lines and supplies similar clinical and pharmaceutical customers globally.
• Owen Mumford: UK-based medical device manufacturer specialising in drug delivery devices including syringes, auto-injectors, and lancets. Directly comparable as a British maker of injection-focused medical consumables serving healthcare and self-care markets.
• Frontier Medical Group (GBUK Group): UK-based manufacturer of safety hypodermic needles, sharps containers, and blood-collection devices. Directly comparable as a British medical device maker serving NHS and clinical needle-handling safety markets.
• Nipro Corporation: Japanese medical device manufacturer with strong syringe, needle, and injection system offerings. Directly comparable product portfolio and serves dialysis, hospital, and clinical injection markets overlapping with harm reduction supply chains.

Broad incumbents

• Cardinal Health: US-headquartered medical products distributor with extensive clinical and at-home injection supply portfolios. Broader healthcare focus but competitively relevant to Exchange Supplies' wholesaling motion for sharps, needles, and naloxone.
• Henry Schein: Global distributor of medical, dental, and veterinary supplies including sharps and injection products. Broad incumbent with a portfolio much wider than Exchange Supplies' but overlapping in clinical consumables.
• McKesson Medical-Surgical: Large-scale medical supply distributor serving physician practices, surgery centres, and home health. Overlaps with Exchange Supplies on syringes, needles, and clinical consumables through broad-line distribution.
• Becton Dickinson (BD): One of the world's largest medical technology companies with extensive syringe, needle, and drug-delivery device portfolios. Significant overlap with Exchange Supplies' core products, though BD serves the full breadth of healthcare rather than specialising in harm reduction.

Others

• Harm Reduction Therapeutics: US non-profit pharmaceutical company developing low-cost over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray. Adjacent rather than competing; expands access to opioid overdose reversal products in the same harm reduction market Exchange Supplies serves with Prenoxad and Nyxoid.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/reducingharm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Exchange Supplies