Pubdate: Tue, 02 Aug 2005
Source: San Mateo County Times, The (CA)
Copyright: 2005 ANG Newspapers
Contact: 
http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87%257E2524%257E,00.html
Website: http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/392
Author: Stephanie Woodrow, Correspondent
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)

SUPES APPROVE PLAN FOR NEEDLE SALES

Pharmacies Would Need No Prescription To Sell Hypodermics In Order To Curb 
Virus Transmission

REDWOOD CITY -- Later this year, drug users will have more access to clean 
needles thanks to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors' approval of a 
resolution to allow pharmacies to sell up to 10 hypodermic needles at a 
time to buyers without a prescription.

A new provision of the state Business and Professions Code created the 
Disease Prevention Demonstration Project, enabling the county to authorize 
licensed pharmacists to sell the unprescribed needles through the end of 2010.

The county's Needle Exchange Task Force, established in fall 2001 by the 
Board of Supervisors, was created with the goal of addressing the issues of 
HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C related to dirty needle use.

The local task force determined its four priorities, as follows: 
"minimizing barriers to accessing clean needles and syringes, maximizing 
access to clean needles and syringes both by geographic locations and time, 
maximizing collection of used needles, and using needle exchange as a 
conduit to support services and ultimate recovery."

According to the task force, 116,631 needles were exchanged in the 
2004-2005 fiscal year.

Currently, clean needles often are delivered to people's homes through two 
local organizations, Free at Last in East Palo Alto and AIDS Prevention 
Action Network in Redwood City.

"Most needle exchange is done at people's houses," County Health Officer 
Dr. Scott Morrow said. While needles cost 5 to 10 cents to make, Morrow 
estimated, pharmacies will be selling them for $1 to $2 each.

Pharmacies will not be required by the county to sell needles without 
prescriptions, according to Morrow, but in San Francisco, which has a 
similar program, many of the major chain pharmacies do so. Pharmacies must 
be registered with the demonstration project to participate.

San Mateo County health department officials say the needle-sale program is 
expected to be up and running by the end of the year.
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MAP posted-by: Beth