Since the beginning, injection drug use (IDU) has accounted for a significant number of HIV infections. In Minnesota, injection drug use is an associated risk factor for 19 percent of all people known to be living with HIV. This figure includes people who inject drugs and people who were sexually active with someone who injects drugs. Sharing of syringes and drug injection equipment (cookers, cottons, tourniquets, etc) makes it easy for HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) to be passed from one person to another.

In 1997, MAP successfully lobbied the Minnesota legislature to allow pharmacies to sell up to ten clean syringes to customers without a prescription. MAP's pharmacy access initiative works to educate and support pharmacists on the importance of clean syringe availability and with injection drug users to use pharmacy sales as a source for clean syringes.

Pharmacies participating in the initiative receive Fitpack personal disposal kits that hold ten used syringes to give to syringe purchasers who buy without a prescription, HIV and HCV education materials and staff support and training including a training manual.

Why would I call MAP's Pharmacy Access Initiative?

If you are a pharmacist and would like more information about selling syringes without a prescription, information about syringe disposal concerns, or would like to enroll your pharmacy in our pharmacy access initiative, call the systems advocacy manager.

Do you work with injecting drug users in your social service agency, medical clinic, housing programs or does your work carry the risk of potential needle sticks from improperly disposed syringes, such as waste management? The staff in your agency may benefit from training on HIV and HCV, proper syringe disposal, and harm reduction methods.

Contact Info

Cathy Strobel
Community Partnerships Manager
Minnesota AIDS Project

Mailing Address:
1400 Park Avenue South
Minneapolis MN 55404

Email: cstrobel@mnaidsproject.org
Phone: 612-373-2452
Fax: 612-341-4057