Contents - Volume 7, No. 6

Expanded Syringe Access Program: A Program to Prevent Blood Borne Diseases

The NYS Legislature earlier this year, amended Section 3381 of the Public Health Law to make access to hypodermic syringes and needles easier for the general public. These regulations became effective January 1, 2001. The article explains the criteria pharmacists must follow.

HIV Reporting, HSN and Confidentiality

The fourth in a series of continuing education articles discusses the amendments to the public health law involving expansion of access to hypodermic syringes and needles. It also defines confidentiality in regard to pharmacists, as well as the need for reporting new HIV or AIDS cases involving pharmacists to the Department of Health.

Mailbag

• Can a pharmacist refuse to transfer a patient's prescription to another pharmacy?
• May unlicensed personnel in an IV infusion pharmacy receive oral orders from a physician to discontinue or refill a prescription for a patient?
• Is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin considered a controlled substance in New York State?
• Can a pharmacist compound a product without a prescription and dispense it to a patient?
• May a pharmacist add or delete "daw" in the box of an Official New York State Triplicate, if authorized to do so by the prescribing physician?
• How many files are legally required for filing prescriptions?