Syringe Access & Drug User Health Hub Programs

Syringe Exchange Programs (SEPs)

Twenty-five multi-disciplinary community-based programs deliver a menu of services:

  • Mental health and behavioral-health interventions, e.g., individual & group counseling, support groups
  • Acupuncture, linkage to care and treatment including and client-navigation services
  • Harm reduction services and materials, e.g., sterile syringes, drug equipment, fentanyl test strips, wound care and treatment
  • Tailored harm reduction modalities, office based, street based, mobile van, community outreach, peer-delivered syringe exchange, and by special arrangements
  • Community syringe and medical disposal

Drug User Health Hubs

Drug User Health Hubs reside within the same walls an existing SEP infrastructure are funded to deliver welcoming, non-stigmatizing, low-threshold health care, including medications for opioid use disorder e.g., buprenorphine, primary care and wound care, mental health services and referrals and linkage to an array of healthcare and supportive services. The low-threshold nature of the Drug User Health Hubs makes them excellent resources for families to refer loved ones.

In addition, some Hubs offer:

  • Anti-stigma trainings and have partnered with community stakeholders, such as law-enforcement agencies, jails, and hospitals to facilitate direct referrals.

Second-Tier Syringe Exchange Programs (STSEPs)

STSEPs enables community-based organizations, local health departments and health clinics that serve people who use drugs can apply with the ODUH to furnish syringes and other related drug equipment.

  • 5 waivered STSEPs: two drug treatment programs, three local health departments.

Syringe Access & Disposal

Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP)

In 2000, the New York State Legislature changed the Public Health Law to authorize a demonstration program to expand access to sterile hypodermic needles and syringes. This is a public health measure to prevent blood borne diseases, most notably HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B and hepatitis C. ESAP became effective January 1, 2001 and as of the summer of 2009, became a permanent program.

What The Law Says

  • Licensed pharmacies, health care facilities, and health care practitioners can sell or furnish hypodermic needles or syringes to persons 18 years of age or older without a patient-specific prescription.
  • Persons who are age 18 years or older may legally obtain and possess hypodermic needles and syringes through ESAP- without a medical prescription.
  • For all hypodermic needles and syringes provided through ESAP are accompanied by a required safety insert explaining proper use, risk of blood borne diseases, proper disposal, dangers of injection drug use, how to access drug treatment as well as information about HIV/AIDS.
  • Pharmacies may advertise the availability of hypodermic needles or syringes without a prescription and they must keep them in a manner that makes them available only to pharmacy staff (i.e., not openly available to customers).
  • An independent evaluation conducted in consultation with the New York State AIDS Advisory Council, was submitted to the Governor and the Legislature on January 15, 2003. It assessed the impact of ESAP on needle and syringe sharing, substance abuse, pharmacy practice, criminal activity, accidental needle sticks among law enforcement, sanitation and other personnel, syringe disposal, and various methods of education on safe use and proper disposal.

The New York State Department of Health was responsible for developing regulations to implement ESAP.

What The Regulations Say

  • Under Chapter 433 of the Laws of 2021, Public Health Law (PHL) Section 3381 was amended eliminating the requirement for pharmacies, health care facilities and health care practitioners to register with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in order to dispense syringes without a prescription to persons 18 years of age and older.
  • Consistent with this amendment, NYSDOH no longer registers providers for participating in the Expanded Syringe Access Program (ESAP). These providers must continue to accompany syringe dispensing with the safety insert as required by PHL Section 3381.
  • Pharmacies, clinics, and health care practitioners that want to include the option to accept household sharps under ESAP will register for this program's component.
  • Providers that accept needles and syringes for disposal must comply with state and local laws regarding the disposal of regulated medical waste.
  • Article-28 facilities, like hospitals and nursing homes are required to accept household sharps.

What To Do If You Have Questions Concerning ESAP

Questions concerning ESAP can be directed as follows:

NYS Safe Sharps Collection Program

Safe Sharps Collection Program, which began in 2001, expands settings for the disposal of used needles and other sharps. Through this program, pharmacies, health clinics, community-based organizations, public transportation facilities, housing projects, police stations, bus depots and other venues have become sites for sharps collection. Sharps collection kiosks and wall-mounted units are provided free of charge to registered sites. The program also provides small personal sharps containers (Fitpacks) that may be disposed with regular garbage

Materials

Find a Syringe Disposal Site

Find a Safe Medication Disposal Site for Households

NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Safe Medication Disposal

Additional Resources

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal