OBJECTIVE

To examine pharmacists' attitudes and obstacles to syringe sales to IDUs without prescriptions in Rhode Island, around the time that such sales became legal in the state.

DESIGN

Self-administered written survey.

SETTING

Rhode Island.

PARTICIPANTS

400 randomly selected pharmacist members of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Responses to survey items.

RESULTS

Of the 400 pharmacists contacted, 131 (33%) completed and returned the survey; of these, 101 (77%) were pharmacists who worked in stores that provided direct nonprescription syringe sales to the public. The majority of these 101 pharmacists were willing to sell syringes to a suspected IDU without a prescription (65%), favored providing free sharps containers for disposal (68%), and supported providing pamphlets on safer injection practices (88%). Willingness to sell syringes to IDUs without a prescription was significantly correlated with various beliefs about possible consequences of sales.

CONCLUSION

The high level of support for nonprescription syringe sales to IDUs is promising. The correlation between the willingness to sell syringes to IDUs without a prescription and various beliefs suggests that future educational interventions might encourage pharmacists to sell syringes to this population without a prescription to decrease HIV and hepatitis transmission.