Stakeholder Analysis of Pharmacy Sales of Syringes
Creators: name: University Of California Office Of The President
Publisher: name: University of California Office of the President
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/00dmfq477
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2024

description: Syringe access through pharmacy sales took effect in January 2005 under California Senate Bill (SB) 1159. The legislation was designed to curb the transmission of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) among injection drug users (IDUs) and their sexual and syringe sharing partners. The legislation allows pharmacies to sell or furnish up to 10 syringes without a prescription to individuals 18 years of age and older and allows individuals to possess an equal number of syringes if obtained from an authorized source. It is up to California’s 61 health departments to approve local policies so that pharmacies who agree to sell syringes under the new law can do so. With just 3 years remaining before SB 1159 terminates in 2010, the majority of California county health departments have not established any form of syringe access or syringe exchange program. The reasons for this are unknown; however, perceived political opposition or questions about pharmacy willingness have been suggested as possible barriers to implementation. The California Department of Health Services/Office of AIDS (DHS/OA) was mandated by the legislation to implement or support evaluation studies. This pilot study is one such project that will address several of the evaluation criteria that are required by the legislation. The study will be based in four counties that adopted local legislation during the first year the law went into effect, but have yet to implemented pharmacy access programs. The objectives of the study are to: 1) assess the attitudes of pharmacists toward selling syringes to IDUs; 2) explore the need for additional training for pharmacists with respect to legislative requirements of SB 1159; 3) assess the perceptions of IDUs regarding pharmacies as a source to purchase sterile syringes; 4) assess key stakeholders’ opinions about the failure to establish local programs; 5) provide policy recommendations that can be used to stimulate the creation of additional programs, and 6) provide timely data to support the public health impact of pharmacy access programs in California. The proposed study will attempt to determine the barriers to program implementation in Humboldt, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo by interviewing key stakeholders such as district attorneys, policy makers, health department staff, or law enforcement personnel. Surveys will assess pharmacists’ attitudes and intentions and will document the perceptions of IDUs about pharmacies as an alternative to syringe exchange programs. The results of the study will provide timely policy recommendations that may encourage these four and other health departments throughout California to establish pharmacy access programs. The recommendations may also serve as the foundation for re-authorization language to continue SB1159 beyond 2010. The proposed study provides a unique opportunity for California policymakers. Until research documents whether or not pharmacies are willing to collaborate with health departments to sell syringes and without original data from the intended beneficiaries of the program (i.e., IDUs), health departments across California may continue to erroneously assume political or pharmacy opposition and by default, allow SB 1159 to terminate. Most importantly, IDUs will be at increased risk for HIV and HCV acquisition and transmission if their options for sterile syringes are limited. Expanded syringe access programs are an important policy intervention for IDUs in California.