Repealed and added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 890, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1997.
No person shall furnish hypodermic needles or syringes, by sale or otherwise, without a license issued by the board, except as otherwise provided by this article.
Article 9 - Hypodermic Needles and Syringes
California Business and Professions Code — §§ 4141-4149
Sections (8)
Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 549, Sec. 85. Effective January 1, 1998.
This article shall not apply to the sale of hypodermic syringes and needles at wholesale by pharmacies, drug wholesalers, drug manufacturers or manufacturers and dealers in surgical instruments to pharmacies, physicians, dentists, podiatrists, veterinarians, or persons to whom a license has been issued under this article.
Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 331, Sec. 2. (AB 1743) Effective January 1, 2015.
A person may sell or obtain hypodermic needles and hypodermic syringes without a prescription or permit, for uses that the board determines are industrial, and that person shall not be required to comply with Section 4145.5 or 4146.
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 685, Sec. 1. (AB 309) Effective January 1, 2026.
(a)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pharmacist or physician may, without a prescription or a permit, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for human use, and a person may, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes from a pharmacist or physician for human use, if the furnisher has previously been provided a prescription or other proof of a legitimate medical need requiring a hypodermic needle or syringe to administer a medicine or treatment.
(b)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, as a public health measure intended to prevent the transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other bloodborne diseases
among persons who use syringes and hypodermic needles, and to prevent subsequent infection of sexual partners, newborn children, or other persons, a physician or pharmacist may, without a prescription or a permit, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for human use to a person 18 years of age or older, and a person 18 years of age or older may, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes solely for personal use from a physician or pharmacist.
(c)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a pharmacist, veterinarian, or person licensed pursuant to Section 4141 may, without a prescription or license, furnish hypodermic needles and syringes for use on animals, and a person may, without a prescription or license, obtain hypodermic needles and syringes from a pharmacist, veterinarian, or person licensed pursuant to Section 4141 for use on animals.
(d)A
pharmacy that furnishes nonprescription hypodermic needles and syringes shall store hypodermic needles and syringes in a manner that ensures that they are available only to authorized personnel, and are not accessible to other persons.
(e)In order to provide for the safe disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes, a pharmacy or hypodermic needle and syringe exchange program that furnishes nonprescription hypodermic needles and syringes shall counsel consumers on safe disposal and provide consumers with one or more of the following disposal options:
(1)It shall establish an onsite, safe, hypodermic needle and syringe collection and disposal program that meets applicable state and federal standards for collection and disposal of medical sharps waste.
(2)It shall furnish, or make available, mail-back sharps
containers authorized by the United States Postal Service that meet applicable state and federal requirements for the transport of medical sharps waste, and shall provide tracking forms to verify destruction at a certified disposal facility.
(3)It shall furnish, or make available, a sharps container that meets applicable state and federal standards for collection and disposal of medical sharps waste.
(f)A pharmacy that furnishes nonprescription syringes shall provide written information or verbal counseling to consumers at the time of furnishing or sale of nonprescription hypodermic needles or syringes on how to do the following:
(1)Access drug treatment.
(2)Access testing and treatment for HIV and hepatitis C.
(3)Safely dispose of sharps waste.
Added by Stats. 2009, Ch. 307, Sec. 40. (SB 821) Effective January 1, 2010.
A pharmacy may accept the return of needles and syringes from the public if contained in a sharps container, as defined in Section 117750 of the Health and Safety Code.
Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 608, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2005.
(a)For the purposes of this section, “playground” means any park or outdoor recreational area specifically designed to be used by children that has play equipment installed or any similar facility located on public or private school grounds or county parks.
(b)Any hypodermic needle or syringe that is to be disposed of, shall be contained, treated, and disposed of, pursuant to Part 14 (commencing with Section 117600) of Division 104 of the Health and Safety Code.
(c)It is unlawful to discard or dispose of a hypodermic needle or syringe upon the grounds of a playground, beach, park, or any public or private elementary, vocational, junior high, or high school.
(d)A person who knowingly violates subdivision (c) is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200) and not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail for up to six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(e)Subdivision (c) does not apply to the containment, treatment, and disposal of medical sharps waste from medical care or first aid services rendered on school grounds, nor to the containment, treatment, and disposal of hypodermic needles or syringes used for instructional or educational purposes on school grounds.
Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 331, Sec. 6. (AB 1743) Effective January 1, 2015.
All stocks of hypodermic needles or syringes shall be confiscated if found outside the licensed premises of any person holding a permit under Section 4141 and found not in the possession or under the control of a person entitled to an exemption under Section 4143, 4144.5, or 4145.5, or under Section 11364, 121349, or 121349.1 of the Health and Safety Code.
Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 507, Sec. 15. (AB 2605) Effective January 1, 2015.
(a)A nonresident distributor shall not sell or distribute hypodermic needles or syringes in this state without obtaining a license from the board pursuant to Section 4141.
(b)Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a license is not required if the nonresident distributor sells or distributes solely through a person who is licensed as a wholesaler or third-party logistics provider pursuant to Section 4160.
(c)The Legislature, by enacting this section, does not intend a license issued to any nonresident distributor pursuant to this article to serve as evidence that the entity is doing business within
this state.