Sharps Disposal Programs
Learn more about disposal of home-generated biomedical waste (needles, syringes with needles, diagnostic lancets, etc.) programs that provide safe disposal methods.
Syringe Exchange Programs in Florida Helps Counties to Fight HIV
On June 27, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA) that allows county commissions to authorize sterile needle and syringe exchange programs for people who inject drugs. Disease prevention must be the goal of every exchange program.
There are currently more than 200 programs in 34 states. They have helped many people and communities. View the Florida counties that have taken steps toward implementing syringe exchange programs.
Syringe Exchange Program Requirements
Syringe exchange programs in Florida cannot use state, county or municipal funds to operate. The law requires that exchange programs be funded through grants and donations from private resources and funds. Personal identifying information of people participating in a syringe exchange program can not be collected or used for any purpose.
The following steps outline the establishment of a syringe exchange program:
Establish
Before a syringe exchange program can be established, a county commission must:
- Authorize the program under the provisions of a county ordinance
- Enter into a letter of agreement with the Florida Department of Health, agreeing that the program will operate in accordance with section 381.0038, Florida Statutes
- Partner with the county health department for consultation and recommendations for program operations
- Contract with one of the following to operate the program:
- Hospital licensed under Chapter 395, F.S.
- Health care clinic licensed under part X of Chapter 400, F.S.
- Florida medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation
- Licensed addiction receiving facility as defined in section 397.311, F.S.
- 501(c)(3) HIV/AIDS service organization
Create and Maintain
To create a syringe exchange program, an operator must:
- Develop an oversight and accountability system that ensures compliance with Florida law and all contracts
- Receive county commission approval of the oversight and accountability system before launching a program
- Operate a one-to-one exchange—this means that participants can only receive one sterile syringe in exchange for a used one
- Offer participants educational materials on HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases
- Provide on-site counseling or referrals for drug abuse prevention, education and treatment, and on-site screening or referrals for HIV and viral hepatitis testing and treatment
- Make available kits, or referrals to programs that can provide kits, that contain emergency opioid antagonists
Report
Syringe exchange programs must provide an annual report to county commissioners and DOH by August 1 that includes:
- Number of participants served
- Number of used needles and syringes received
- Number of clean, unused needles and syringes distributed
- Demographic profiles of the participants served
- Number of participants entering drug counseling or treatment
- Number of participants receiving testing for HIV, viral hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases
- Other data required under Florida Department of Health rule (IDEA allows DOH to develop rules for collecting data)