§ 16-64-3 — Program requirements

West Virginia § 16-64-3

• Jurisdiction: West Virginia
• Ch. 16: PUBLIC HEALTH
• Art. 64: SYRINGE SERVICES PROGRAMS

Text

(a) To be approved for a license, a syringe services program shall be part of a harm reduction program which offers or refers an individual to the following services which shall be documented in the application:

(1) HIV, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases screening;

(2) Vaccinations;

(3) Birth control and long-term birth control;

(4) Behavioral health services;

(5) Overdose prevention supplies and education;

(6) Syringe collection and sharps disposal;

(7) Educational services related to disease transmission;

(8) Assist or refer an individual to a substance use treatment program;

(9) Refer to a health care practitioner or treat medical conditions; and

(10) Programmatic guidelines including a sharps disposal plan, a staff training plan, a data collection and program evaluation plan, and a community relations plan.

(b) A syringe services program:

(1) Shall offer services, at every visit, from a qualified licensed health care provider;

(2) Shall exclude minors from participation in the syringe exchange, but may provide minors with harm reduction services;

(3) Shall ensure a syringe is unique to the syringe services program;

(4) Shall distribute syringes with a goal of a 1:1 model;

(5) May substitute weighing the volume of syringes returned versus dispensed as specified. This substitution is only permissible if it can be done accurately and in the following manner:

(A) The syringes shall be contained in a see-through container; and

(B) A visual inspection of the container shall take place prior to the syringes being weighed;

(6) Shall distribute the syringe directly to the program recipient;

(7) Proof of West Virginia identification upon dispensing of the needles;

(8) Shall train staff on:

(A) The services and eligibility requirements of the program;

(B) The services provided by the program;

(C) The applicant’s policies and procedures concerning syringe exchange transactions;

(D) Disposing of infectious waste;

(E) Sharps waste disposal education that ensures familiarity with the state law regulating proper disposal of home-generated sharps waste;

(F) Procedures for obtaining or making referrals;

(G) Opioid antagonist administration;

(H) Cultural diversity and sensitivity to protected classes under state and federal law; and

(I) Completion of attendance logs for participation in mandatory training;

(9) Shall maintain a program for the public to report syringe litter and shall endeavor to collect all syringe litter in the community;

(10) Shall not distribute any smoking devices, including, but not limited to, hand pipes, bubblers, bongs, dab rigs, hookahs, crack pipes, or disposable smoking devices.

(c) Each syringe services program shall have a syringe dispensing plan which includes, but is not limited to the following:

(1) Maintaining records of returned syringes by participants for two years;

(2) Preventing syringe stick injuries;

(3) Tracking the number of syringes dispensed;

(4) Tracking the number of syringes collected;

(5) Tracking the number of syringes collected as a result of community reports of syringe litter;

(6) Eliminating direct handling of sharps waste;

(7) Following a syringe stick protocol and plan;

(8) A budget for sharps waste disposal or an explanation if no cost is associated with sharps waste disposal; and

(9) A plan to coordinate with the continuum of care, including the requirements set forth in this section.

(d) If an applicant does not submit all of the documentation required in §16-63-2 of this code, the application shall be denied and returned to the applicant for completion.

(e) If an applicant fails to comply with the program requirements, the application shall be denied and returned to the applicant for completion.

(f) A license is effective for one year.

Legislative History

2024 Reg. Sess., HB4667; 2021 Reg. Sess., SB334