In Pennsylvania, a law was passed that lifted the requirement of prescriptions for hypodermic needles.  Through this change in policy, the state Board of Pharmacy was hoping to decrease the spread of disease amongst addicts reusing needles.  While the law has shown success previously in other states, the law brings up significant controversy.

Because the law was seemingly passed to make a legal product more accessible to illegal drugs, their was moral and ethical conflict involved.  Some pharmacists found the law to be enabling drug habits, allowing addicts more access to their problem.  On the other side of the coin, the law allows diabetics more efficient access to the needles they need, as well as reducing diseases such as HIV.

In other states where this law is already in effect, the black market sales in hypodermic needles had decreased tremendously, proving that the drug users were provided needles regardless of law, but now can receive them in a clean environment.  Also, the spread of disease has also decreased, proving more so the positive effect of this law.

Despite either the positives or negatives of the law, the problem still remains in the illegal drugs and the addiction to them.  Clean hypodermic needles is a temporary solution to a problem that needs a permanent one.

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