5 min read

In this scenario, I’m a pharmacist and a patient has asked to purchase needles and syringes, despite not having a record of diabetes. My primary concern here is the well-being of this customer, and I want to help them as effectively as possible, while also advocating for their personal safety. One thing to mention right away is that in my state/province, it is legal for pharmacists to sell needles and syringes over-the-counter, so there are no legal implications in this particular transaction [Note: obviously, you’d want to confirm this in your own location].

The first thing I’d need to do is gather more information, as there is any number of reasons this person would ask for these supplies. First, the prompt says that they do not have diabetes, but I’d like to double-check to ensure I haven’t missed anything. As well, it is possible that they are purchasing these supplies for someone else who does have diabetes. So, I’d try asking the patient why they need such supplies, who they are for, and related questions, to ensure that they get the right supplies for their purposes. There are other injectables besides insulin, which are legal and appropriate (for example, B12 injections). Additionally, in some cases, people need to give their pets injections at home, so that is another possibility that I could ask about.

If this patient was reluctant to disclose the reason for needing these supplies, or in the unlikely event that they admitted wanting to use them to inject illicit substances, I would need to carefully consider my actions moving forward. While I wouldn’t want to enable the use of such substances, there are wide-ranging implications when safe, clean needles cannot be accessed. In particular, the transmission of Hepatitis C and HIV are very real possibilities, which would affect not only this one person, but all those who come into contact with, or potentially share needles with, this person. Even if there is no threat of Hepatitis C, HIV, and other such conditions, re-using needles can lead to very serious infections, which can be deadly. In such cases, harm reduction is of paramount importance, but I’d also want to educate and advocate for this patient and encourage other routes.

If it turned out that there was a mistake and this patient did have a condition that warranted use of injectables, or if they were purchasing them for someone else who did (a family member, pet, etc.), then I would sell the needles and syringes without hesitation, ensuring the patient had all the information necessary for safe use and disposal of these items. I would also make a note on their file about this transaction, so that there is no confusion in the future.

If, on the other hand, I suspected or was informed that these supplies would be used for injecting illegal substances, there are a number of things I’d want to do. I firmly believe in the principles of harm reduction, wherein the overall safety of illicit drug users is given priority, to the extent that such is possible. After volunteering at a safe injection site for 3 years, I have seen the drastic decline in transmissible diseases from needle sharing. In that spirit, I would sell the clean needles and syringes to this patient, but I would first request a private, one-on-one consultation with them. In our consultation room, I would invite the patient to sit down, and I would ensure my demeanor wasn’t judgmental, that my tone was calm, and that my body posture was not overly dominant or hard-edged – I want to create a safe space, where this person knows that their safety and health are my top priorities. I would take the time to discuss the options that exist today to help illicit drug users wean off of these substances, such as methadone clinics. I would give them pamphlets and literature on the different kinds of counselling available, as well as any resources that exist to financially support such detoxing (if needed). After this, I would also provide the patient with a Naloxone kit, as well as training on how to use it, just in case they or someone they know were to overdose. I would also remind them not to use alone, as this greatly increases the chance of death in the case of an overdose, particularly with the current trend of mixing Fentanyl into other illicit substances, without the user’s knowledge. Once I’ve gone through all of this with the patient and am sure they understand, then I will sell them the needles and syringes.

Following up on this, hopefully I’ve been able to get the patient’s phone number as part of their overall file; if so, I’d like to call them a few days later to check in on them and see if they are okay, and whether they’ve given any thought to the materials I’d provided. If they’d like my help, then I would offer it; I’d also respect their wishes if they wanted me to leave them be – though I’d emphasize that I would make myself available to them whenever they may try to move toward sobriety. As well, I would ensure my staff have proper training on harm reduction methods and understand the reasons behind my actions. I firmly believe that drug addiction is a health issue, rather than a personal or moral failing, and we must be compassionate while also continuously advocating for healthier choices. If a person is going to get well again, they need to be alive for that to happen; keeping them as safe as possible in an inherently dangerous situation is very important – they can never get clean if they pass away before they are able to take the steps toward sobriety. Perhaps, treating them with care and compassion – rather than stereotyping and hostility – will be the push they need to act in their best interest and start down the road to recovery.

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