Here in Tennessee, most people who inject drugs (PWID) don’t live near a syringe exchange or know where to buy syringes other than fellow drug users, dealers, or family members. This is no longer your only option. If you have a credit/debit card and a mailing address, you can buy syringes online!
Believe it or not, the process of buying needles and syringes online is identical to buying anything else: clothes, shoes, makeup — you name it.
Buying medical supplies online is normal
In 2020. U.S. pharmacies and drug stores accounted for roughly $300B in sales —25% of which involved online sales. If we include health and beauty sales in that figure, the percentage of total sales made online jumps to 38%. And that was three years ago!
It’s common for people with chronic health ailments to avoid buying medical supplies at brick-and-mortar stores out of embarrassment. Online medical supply retailers capitalize on this concern, shipping customers’ products in low-key, discreet packaging.
Online stores that sell syringes often sell other medical supplies. Knowing that just one review complaining about non-discreet packaging, billing, and shipping can scare customers away, these medical retailers invest heavily into maintaining a low profile.
The low-key nature of online medical suppliers makes them well-suited for selling syringes.
Plus, syringes are legal to possess in Tennessee
You can legally buy and possess syringes here in Tennessee without a prescription. Sadly, that doesn’t guarantee success in buying syringes from pharmacies.
Pharmacies aren’t good sources of syringes because pharmacists have the right to turn customers down. Many pharmacists discriminate against people without prescriptions for syringes and refuse to sell unprescribed syringes, for reasons such as:
- Concerns about disease transmission and enabling drug use. Many Tennessee pharmacists hold the belief that selling syringes to PWID increases the spread of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) and increases drug use.
Fact: Evidence shows the opposite is true — that selling syringes to PWID decreases HIV and HCV transmission. Little evidence supports the claim that selling syringes to PWID increases drug use. - Business concerns. Some pharmacists reported PWID are untrustworthy, more likely to shoplift, more likely to vandalize stores, and leave used syringes in their bathrooms and parking lots.
Fact: Research shows that selling syringes to PWID is not associated with an increase in crime. - Uncertain legal status of syringe sales. Some pharmacists aren’t aware of state laws related to syringe sales. Rather than taking a risk, many pharmacists choose not to sell syringes to PWID.
Is it legal to buy needles and syringes online?
When shopping for syringes online, you’ll find that many web-based healthcare supply stores require prescriptions to ship syringes to Tennessee. Despite this trend, here aren’t any Tennessee state laws that require vendors to obtain prescriptions from customers before shipping syringes.
It is 100% legal to order syringes online and have them shipped to Tennessee. It doesn’t matter whether the vendor is located in Tennessee or another state — ordering syringes online is equally legal in both situations.
Where can you buy syringes online?
Amazon was the online healthcare supply industry leader in 2017, accounting for 35% of all online healthcare supply sales. The No. 1 U.S. online retailer since 2009, Amazon leads the online healthcare supply industry.
But when it comes to buying syringes online, we’ve heard bad things about buying from Amazon. Why? Amazon, like many online medical supply stores, doesn’t like shipping syringes to Tennessee unless you have a prescription for them. We’ve also heard reports of Amazon sellers sending low-quality versions of the syringes customers ordered, as well as canceling orders for no apparent reason — for these reasons, we don’t recommend Amazon.
That said… you can find legitimate medical supply stores online that don’t require prescriptions from Tennesseans. One online store we feel comfortable recommending is ADW Diabetes. They don’t require prescriptions from Tennesseans, have below-average prices, and ship quickly.
Note: This is not an affiliate link!
Better yet, try our Supply-by-Mail Program!
Considering just 11 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have harm reduction programs, the Volunteer State has long been in need of a statewide harm reduction service.
In January 2023, we officially opened our Supply-by-Mail Program, through which we mail naloxone (NARCAN®), fentanyl test strips, sterile syringes, and other safe injection supplies across the state. Across our syringe exchange and Supply-by-Mail Program, we’ve already served 65 of Tennessee’s 95 counties!
We group most of our supplies together in bundles — we currently offer five bundles. Two of them contain syringes, as seen below. Each of these bundles — Bundle #3 and #5 — includes safe injection supplies, as well, such as cookers, tourniquets, and cotton pellets.
Facts about our Supply-by-Mail Program
- You don’t need a prescription to order any of our supplies.
- Because we only ship within Tennessee, our packages arrive quickly — almost always within one to two business days.
- We include at least eight doses of naloxone with every bundle: two nasal sprays and six vials of injectable naloxone.
How much should you pay for syringes?
On average, a 100-count box of insulin syringes should cost between $15 to $20/box. You can also buy single 10-packs of insulin syringes online, which should cost anywhere from $4 to $6/pack. We recommend buying at least a full box.
After all, there’s no sense in buying three or four 10-packs (30-40 syringes total) when you can buy a box (100 syringes total) for the same price. Plus, you have to pay shipping & handling either way — make your purchase worthwhile.
Stop buying syringes from your friends — buy syringes online!
If you buy syringes from friends, are they always in stock? If your answer is “no,” you don’t have a reliable source of syringes.
How often can you buy 100 syringes from your friends for $15 or $20 (the standard going rate)? If your answer isn’t “all the time,” you don’t have a reliable source of syringes.
Don’t worry — you’re not the only one… Most Tennesseans who inject drugs don’t have a reliable source of sterile syringes. This leads to:
- Syringe reuse and sharing
- The transmission of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases
- Soft tissue damage (scarring, abscesses, excessive bleeding, heart infections)
- A worse injection experience
Tips
- Have the syringes shipped to your regular mailing address.
- Buying syringes via mail is 100% legal in Tennessee.
- No, you’re not going to be put on a list for buying syringes online.
- Reputable healthcare supply vendors (including Amazon) always ship syringes discreetly.
- If you’re worried about someone opening your mail, buy a PO Box. Besides, you’re (probably) an adult — nobody should be opening your mail except you!
Be a responsible drug user. Use a sterile syringe every time you inject drugs. Never share used syringes.
❤️
Ready to order syringes, but unsure of which size or type to order?
Check out our short guide, “Understanding Syringes,” to learn about gauge, barrel size, needle length, and which of these sizes are best suited for your situation.