CNP Frequently Asked Questions

The Clean Needle Program (CNP) Pharmacy Scheme is funded DASSA and is administered by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, South Australian Branch.

The CNP plays an important role in the community by providing safe methods of disposal and sterile injecting equipment for customers who use sharps.

• Contribute to the health and safety of your injecting customers and the wider community by selling sterile injecting equipment (sharps packs) to ensure safe injecting practices.
• Receive a free 120L or 240L sharps disposal bin for disposal of community-generated sharps waste. Collection, transportation and incineration of the sharps waste are provided free of charge*.
• Receive staff training on harm minimisation principles and program support.

* The provision of the bin is contingent on DASSA funding, compliance with program terms and conditions, CNP Pharmacy Scheme capacity and the availability of sharps disposal contractor in your pharmacy’s area (if a contractor is not available in your area, the Guild will make contact with you to discuss options).

The Clean Needle Program (CNP) Pharmacy Scheme is funded DASSA and is administered by The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, South Australian Branch.

Needle and Syringe Programs are an important public health measure. These programs have successfully reduced

a) re-using of injecting equipment thus reducing injection-related harms

b) sharing of injecting equipment therefore preventing the spread of HIV among people who inject drugs.

Needle and Syringe Programs do not condone illegal behaviours such as injecting drug use, but *reduce a number of associated heath complications and contribute to the care of idu’s while these behaviours occur and while other efforts can be made to reduce the drug use.

There is no limit as to how many sharps kits a client can purchase at any one time in a CNP pharmacy. Pharmacies can, and should, sell as many sharps kits to clients as requested. The purpose of suppling subsidised sterile injecting equipment to clients is to minimise re-use and sharing of needles and syringes.

DASSA sites offer support services and referral services for injecting drug users.. For a list of all the DASSA Community Clean Needle Program sites in SA click here or speak to your local pharmacist.

For information regarding the location of your nearest alcohol, tobacco and other drug service, please call the 24-hour Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1800 177 833.

The aim of the CNP is to reduce the incidence of blood borne viruses and injecting related injuries and disease.

The following documents maybe be useful to educate about safe injecting practices and ways to minimise the transmission of various infections.

• Maintaining your veins
• Filtering
• Using unfiltered pills
• HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Bacterial and Fungal Infections
• A guide to safer injecting

Community generated sharps waste must be housed in a rigid-walled, puncture resistant container with a secure lid. This is the safest way to minimise the risk of a needle stick injury to anyone who may come into contact with the sharps waste. This includes customers, pharmacy staff and the contractors who collect the sharps disposal bins. If a customer returns sharps waste in an inappropriate container or as loose sharps, the staff member should inform the customer that the pharmacy is unable to accept sharps waste unless contained in an appropriate sharps disposal container. The staff member can offer the customer the option of purchasing an appropriate sharps disposal container if available. The customer should place the used sharps in the purchased appropriate sharps disposal container. Appropriate sharps disposal containers (e.g. 1.4L, 1.5L or 3.1L) can be purchased by pharmacies to sell from several pharmacy wholesalers.

It is important for community safety to encourage your customers to return their sharps waste to your pharmacy for safe disposal. Please advise customers that they CANNOT dispose of their used/full sharps disposal containers in their recycling bin.

If a loose needle or syringe is found, the preferred option for disposal is to contact the Needle Clean Up Hotline (1800 633 353) or local council in your area. 

Alternatively, the loose needle or syringe can placed in an appropriate sharps disposal container to be disposed of. If this is unavailable, the loose needle or syringe should be placed in a rigid-walled, puncture resistant hard plastic container with a securable screw top. It is important not to attempt to replace the cap on the needle and to pick up the needle or syringe by the barrel or plunger (keep away from the sharp end of the needle). Gloves and other protective equipment should be used at all times.

To support the provision of the CNP Pharmacy Scheme, a variety of training options are available for your pharmacy staff including online and in store training. Please contact guildsa@sa.guild.org.au for more information.

Sterile injecting equipment (Fitpacks) are available for pharmacies to purchase through the major wholesalers Sigma, API or direct through ASP Healthcare.

Download a product information brochure here

Please allow up to 10- 14 business days for processing and delivery. Orders for regional pharmacies may take longer.

The 120L or 240L sharps disposal bin needs to be stored in a safe area. This means the bin needs to be located within the pharmacy and NOT outside the pharmacy. Pharmacies must have the sharps disposal bin located in an area that cannot be easily accessed by unsupervised children.

• Please do not call the phone number on the 120L sharps disposal bin. Collection without charge is only available through the Pharmacy Guild SA Branch.

• Collection and replacement of the 120L or 240L sharps disposal bin occurs at the same time (direct swap). The contractor will bring a replacement bin to the pharmacy on the day of collection.
• Please note: in regional areas it may take up to four weeks for collection and replacement of the sharps disposal bin. Contact the Guild SA Branch for a copy of the pickup schedule.
• Please do not overfill the sharps disposal bin. If the bin has been overfilled, the contractor may refuse collection due to occupational health and safety concerns.
• For pharmacies that are locking their bin with a padlock, please ensure your bin is unlocked on the day of collection.

• The 120L or 240L sharps disposal bin is for community and in-pharmacy generated sharps waste only.
• Pharmacies should not be accepting sharps waste from commercial businesses such as medical centres, Nursing homes, hairdressers or tattooists etc.
• Sharps waste ONLY is to be placed into the 120L or 240L sharps disposal bin. Unwanted and expired medications, medical and general waste should not be placed into the bin.
• Loose sharps CANNOT be placed into the 120L or 240L sharps disposal bin. All sharps must be housed in an appropriate rigid-walled, puncture resistant container.

In the event of a needle stick injury the staff member should immediately notify their manager and be referred to their GP or local hospital for assessment. refer to your pharmacy's CNP procedure for information regarding needle stick injuries.