Needle and Syringe Service

Needle and syringe services are one of Australia’s most effective and least understood public-health measures. By making sterile injecting equipment available, and providing a safe way to dispose of used sharps, they prevent the spread of blood-borne viruses like HIV and hepatitis C, protect the wider community from discarded needles, and keep a door open to health care for people who use drugs. Many community pharmacies take part.

What is a pharmacy needle and syringe service?

It is the supply of sterile injecting equipment (such as needles and syringes), and often the safe disposal of used equipment, through a participating pharmacy as part of Australia’s Needle and Syringe Program (NSP). Pharmacies complement the wider network of dedicated NSP sites and health services. The principle behind it is harm reduction: meeting people where they are and reducing the serious harms associated with sharing or reusing injecting equipment, regardless of whether someone is ready or able to stop using drugs.

Why it matters

Sharing injecting equipment is a major route for transmitting HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Australia’s NSP, running for decades, is widely credited with keeping rates of HIV among people who inject drugs very low by international standards, and it saves the health system far more than it costs. Safe disposal also reduces the risk of needle-stick injuries to the public, cleaners, and waste workers. These are the public-health reasons pharmacies are part of the program.

What it provides

Depending on the pharmacy and state rules, the service may include supplying sterile needles and syringes and related equipment, accepting used equipment for safe disposal, providing sharps containers, and offering information or referral to health and drug-treatment services. Pharmacy staff provide this without judgement; the goal is safety and health.

How it works at the pharmacy

You can ask staff for the equipment or for a sharps disposal container. The interaction is matter-of-fact and confidential. If you have used sharps to dispose of, ask how the pharmacy handles returns, since this is the safe route rather than household bins. Pharmacies can also point you towards broader support, including blood-borne virus testing, drug-treatment options, and harm-reduction services, if and when you want them.

Safe disposal at home and in public

Never put used needles in household rubbish or recycling, and never try to recap or bend a needle. Use a proper sharps container (or a puncture-proof, sealable hard-plastic container if nothing else is available) and return it through a pharmacy or NSP site. If you find a discarded needle in public, do not touch it with bare hands; many councils and health services have a hotline to collect them safely.

If you have a needle-stick injury

If you are accidentally pricked by a used needle, wash the area with soap and water, do not squeeze it, and seek medical advice promptly, as there are time-sensitive steps that can reduce infection risk. Go to a GP, emergency department, or sexual health service quickly.

Getting more support

Needle and syringe services are a non-judgemental entry point to health care. If you want to talk about your drug use or treatment options, confidential help is available through the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015, and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation has reliable information. Treatment, when you want it, is always an option.

How it’s regulated in Australia

The Needle and Syringe Program operates under state and territory health arrangements as part of Australia’s national harm-reduction approach, so exactly what participating pharmacies provide varies by jurisdiction. Pharmacies take part within those rules, and pharmacists are registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia.

Official sources

• Alcohol and Drug Foundation
• Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Use the button below to find a pharmacy offering needle and syringe services near you, and ask staff about safe sharps disposal.