ACCESS TO STERILE SYRINGES IN MAINE - PHARMACY PRACTICE AFTER THE 1993 REPEAL OF THE SYRINGE PRESCRIPTION LAW

In October 1993, the Maine legislature repealed the prescription law r egulating the sale of syringes. The new law allowed but did not requir e licensed pharmacists to dispense syringes without a prescription to anyone 18 years of age or older. From November 1995 to January 1996, w e conducted a telephone survey of 208 Maine pharmacists to evaluate th e sale of syringes with and without a prescription and to assess pharm acists' willingness to sell syringes without a prescription. We found that 94% of pharmacists were willing, in all cases or at the discretio n of the pharmacist, to sell syringes without a prescription. However, when asked specifically about willingness to sell syringes without a prescription to suspected injection drug users (IDUs) greater than or equal to 18 years of age, 47% were willing, 40% were not willing, and 13% did not know or declined to answer. Pharmacists reported other req uirements for the purchase of syringes without a prescription, such as the requirement for the customer to provide a reasonable justificatio n for the purchase. In all, there were 31 (15%) pharmacists in the sam ple willing to sell syringes to without a prescription with no additio nal requirements for purchase to suspected IDUs as permitted by law. T here were few negative incidents reported involving IDUs and the sale of syringes without a prescription since amendment of the law. Althoug h sales of syringes without a prescription were reported, the numbers sold fell short of the estimated number of syringes required for IDUs in Maine to use a new syringe for every injection. Despite the change in the prescription law intended to increase access to syringes, the d ata suggest barriers such as drug paraphernalia laws and pharmacy poli cies may prevent IDUs from purchasing syringes and contribute to ongoi ng transmission of HIV. Amendment of the drug paraphernalia and syring e possession laws, clarification of the legitimate medical purpose of access to sterile syringes for IDUs, and offering pharmacists continui ng education on the prevention of blood-borne disease appear to be nec essary steps in the effort to decrease the transmission of HIV among I DUs in Maine.