§ 24-903. Design, maintenance, and purpose

   The Program shall:

   (1) Be designed and maintained to provide maximum security of exchange locations and equipment, including security measures that may be required to control the use and dispersal of hypodermic needles and syringes and security measures that allow for a full accounting of the number of hypodermic needles and syringes in circulation and the number of hypodermic needles and syringes in storage;

   (2) Be operated to allow participants to exchange used hypodermic needles and syringes at any exchange location, if more than one location is available;

   (3) Include appropriate levels of staff expertise in working with injecting drug users and adequate staff training in providing community referrals, counseling, and preventive education;

   (4) Provide for the dissemination of other preventive means for curtailing the spread of the HIV infection;

   (5) Provide referrals to drug counseling and treatment services;

   (6) Educate injecting drug users on the dangers of contracting the HIV infection or the hepatitis B virus through needle-sharing practices and unsafe sexual behaviors;

   (7) Include policies and procedures for the screening of applicants to the Program in order to preclude noninjecting drug users from participating in the Program;

   (8) Establish procedures for identifying Program participants that are consistent with the confidentiality provisions of this subtitle; and

   (9) Establish a method of identification and authorization for Program staff members who have access to hypodermic needles, syringes, or Program records.

HISTORY: 1998, ch. 251; 2010, ch. 72.