Signed by Governor Chris Christie

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Governor's recommendations and pass a bill that authorizes limited pharmacy sales of syringes and needles without a prescription.

Highlights:

• Authorizes licensed pharmacies to sell 10 or fewer hypodermic syringes and needles without a prescription to individuals over 18 years of age who (Sec. 1):
• Present a valid form of photo identification to demonstrate proof of age; or
• Otherwise satisfies the pharmacy that they are over 18 years of age.

• Requires merchants to maintain their supply of hypodermic syringes or needles exclusively behind or under the pharmacy counter at all times (Sec. 1).

• Requires merchants to provide at the time of purchase the following information (Sec. 1):
• The location or telephone number of local disposal sites; and
• Substance abuse treatment and telephone number for treatment assistance.

• Specifies that nothing in this act shall limit a prosecution for the possession, manufacture, or distribution of a controlled substance (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Governor's recommendations and pass a bill that authorizes limited pharmacy sales of syringes and needles without a prescription.

Highlights:

• Authorizes licensed pharmacies to sell 10 or fewer hypodermic syringes and needles without a prescription to individuals over 18 years of age who (Sec. 1):
• Present a valid form of photo identification to demonstrate proof of age; or
• Otherwise satisfies the pharmacy that they are over 18 years of age.

• Requires merchants to maintain their supply of hypodermic syringes or needles exclusively behind or under the pharmacy counter at all times (Sec. 1).

• Requires merchants to provide at the time of purchase the following information (Sec. 1):
• The location or telephone number of local disposal sites; and
• Substance abuse treatment and telephone number for treatment assistance.

• Specifies that nothing in this act shall limit a prosecution for the possession, manufacture, or distribution of a controlled substance (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Chris Christie

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes licensed pharmacies to sell hypodermic syringes and needles to persons over 18 years of age without a prescription.

Highlights:

• Limits the maximum number of needles or syringes sold to adults without prescriptions to 10 or less (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes adults with prescriptions to purchase more than 10 needles or syringes (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that purchasing a needle or syringe under the conditions of this act and selling it to another person is a crime of the 4th degree (Sec. 1).

• Requires pharmacies selling needles and syringes to keep them stored under or behind the sales counter, where they are accessible only to a person standing behind the sales counter (Sec. 2).

• Requires pharmacies selling needles and syringes to provide customers with information in English or Spanish at the time of purchase which contains the following (Sec. 2):
• Information about the safe disposal of needles, including local disposal locations or a telephone number to call in order to locate such locations; and
• Information about drug addiction treatment, including a telephone number to call for assistance in obtaining such treatment.

Full Bill Text