NEEDLE ACCESS DIFFICULT IN BX.

Most Drugstores Shun Program

People trying to buy syringes without a prescription at Bronx pharmacies
should be prepared to shop around - and sometimes, to get the runaround, a
new study finds.

As part of a study by the New York Academy of Medicine, monitors visited
about 90 pharmacies participating in the state's Expanded Syringe Access
Demonstration Program. The program's goal is to curb the spread of disease
among intravenous drug users.

Overall, monitors were able to buy syringes at 69% of the pharmacies
visited citywide. But it was tough going in the Bronx, where they came away
from 67% of the pharmacies empty-handed.

"I was very concerned by it. It's certainly not because there's no need.
There's a very strong need for this item," said study director Dr. Ruth
Finkelstein. "The Bronx has a very large number of active [drug] injectors
and associated HIV infection."

By comparison, monitors were unable to get syringes at 33% of the Queens
pharmacies, 28% in Brooklyn, 16% of the Manhattan pharmacies and 11% in
Staten Island.

Even when they could buy needles, monitors often first had to give personal
information, or answer "probing" questions about the purchase, the report
found.

As of mid-March, 2,458 health providers and pharmacies were registered with
the syringe program, said Finkelstein, director of the Academy's Office of
Special Populations. Of those, 867 were in the five boroughs.

"In New York State, most HIV transmission is from, or has been from, needle
sharing or people having sex with someone infected by needle sharing," said
Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan), who sponsored the syringe law.
"The reason addicts share needles is simply because needles were only
available on the black market at black market prices."

Potential for Good

The study found that "syringe monitors were only able to successfully buy
syringes, without inappropriate questions and with a safety insert and
disposal information upon request, in 7% of the pharmacy visits."

Despite such problems, Finkelstein said the program "has a lot of good
potential to decrease the transmission of HIV and other bloodborne disease,
and to improve syringe disposal." Extra training could help, she said.

A Health Department spokesman said the state already has undertaken
training programs with pharmacies and community groups, adding, "Studies by
other groups will certainly be considered. If they point out areas that can
be addressed immediately, we will do that."