Summary
- Finding clean, sterile syringes in Tennessee can be difficult — but Tennesseans have several options available.
- Visit a syringe exchange/harm reduction program.
- Order syringes and other harm reduction supplies from us. Our Supply by Mail program ships syringes, fentanyl test strips, naloxone, safe injection supplies, and more — all across Tennessee.
- Buy syringes online.
- Visit local pharmacies.
Does your recent search history look like this?
- Needle exchange near me
- Free syringes near me
- Non prescription syringes near me
… then you’ve come to the right place.
We know it’s hard to find clean, non-prescription syringes in Tennessee. Unfortunately, most people who use drugs don’t know where to find syringes in West Tennessee besides the black market.
We give out free syringes here in rural West Tennessee, including free NARCAN® kits in TN. But even if you don’t live near Jackson, TN — where we’re located — this resource lists all the possible ways to find clean needles near you in Tennessee. Good luck!
Visit a syringe exchange/harm reduction program
Syringe exchanges and harm reduction programs — also known as syringe services programs (SSPs) — are your best bet for finding free syringes in Tennessee. Unfortunately, less than 15% of Tennessee’s 95 counties have one.
The Tennessee Department of Health requires organizations to submit applications and follow certain rules to become an official SSP. As of February 2023, there are eight organizations that run ~16 SSP locations across the Volunteer State.
If you’re not fortunate enough to live near a SSP, you still have several other options left.
Use our Supply-by-Mail program
Tennessee never had a statewide provider of harm reduction supplies until we opened our Supply-by-Mail program in January 2023.
We ship syringes, fentanyl test strips, naloxone, and safe injection supplies across the state, offering prices that are competitive with syringe and fentanyl test strip retailers.
Unlike other retailers, we never require prescriptions for our supplies; plus, because we’re based in Tennessee, we offer fast shipping.
Try buying syringes online
Buy your syringes online via online medical supply retailers — that said, many refuse to ship to Tennessee. Sometimes we source syringes from ADWDiabetes.com, which ships fast, has low prices, and actually ships to Tennessee.
LEARN MORE: Practical Advice for Buying Syringes Online
Although Amazon used to be another place to buy syringes online, we’ve received several reports that they no longer ship to Tennessee. Remember — you can also buy syringes from us, as part of our Supply-by-Mail program.
A 10-count bag of insulin syringes usually costs around $5. But don’t buy syringes by the bag… We recommend buying at least a box at a time — boxes contain 100 syringes — which can range anywhere from $15 to $25.
We strongly recommend you buy syringes online if you can’t get them from a local SSP.
If you don’t live near any syringe exchanges, try buying syringes from pharmacies
Here in Tennessee, pharmacies can sell syringes without prescriptions. However, many pharmacists refuse customers who don’t have prescriptions for syringes, insulin, or injectable hormones, making it hard to buy syringes over the counter in Tennessee.
If you get turned down, don’t give up! We recommend visiting small, mom-and-pop pharmacies. In our experience, pharmacists who work for independent pharmacies seem to discriminate against hopeful syringe buyers less often than those who work for chain pharmacies (e.g., Walgreens, CVS).
Can you buy syringes over the counter in Tennessee?
Yes, you can buy syringes over the counter in Tennessee. You don’t need a prescription to buy syringes.
If you’ve visited several pharmacies without success, here’s your next-best bet:
Avoid the black market if possible
We encourage you not to purchase syringes from fellow drug users, friends, people who sell drugs, or family members. This is called black-market syringe access.
Black-market syringe access has several downsides:
- You won’t always know if they’re sterile or clean
- People could sell used syringes to you without your knowledge
- Black-market syringe access isn’t reliable or consistent
- In our neck of the woods, black-market syringes cost anywhere from $3 to $5/syringe on the black market — if you’re lucky, you might buy a 10-count bag for $8 to $10 (that’s $0.80-$1.00/syringe)
- Pharmacies and online medical retailers only charge between $0.15 and $0.40/syringe
If possible, refuse syringes unless you get them from harm reduction programs (like syringe exchanges), pharmacies, or medical supply stores online.
Where can I get free NARCAN® in Tennessee?
If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably interested in finding free NARCAN® kits in TN, or getting answers to one or more of these questions:
- Can you buy NARCAN® over the counter in Tennessee?
- How do I get NARCAN® in Tennessee?
- Is it illegal to have NARCAN® in Tennessee?
We’ve created a resource to help you find free NARCAN® in Tennessee, including NARCAN® training in TN. Read “How Do I Get Free NARCAN® in Tennessee?” here.