Patients can return as needed for medical visits and more syringes. Questionnaires are administered at three-month intervals. That the physician-patient interaction is based on the acknowledgement of injecting behaviors engenders trust . . . The participants . . . understand that physicians are trying to help them in a nonjudgmental way, and they are quite appreciative of the efforts. Clients appear not to be requesting prescriptions for more syringes than they are using, although some have reported occasionally providing syringes to others in need.
Most participants report appropriate disposal of syringes.
Preliminary anecdotal reports suggest that risk behavior is reduced and participation in medical and substance abuse treatment is increased. Physician syringe prescription can be extremely rewarding from a physician's standpoint. . . . This document was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .