Accessing Injection Supplies

• Call your pharmacy and ask if you can get needles and syringes in bulk.  Often boxes of 100 items are available for order.  At most pharmacies, you will need a prescription, but buying for more than a 30 or 90 day supply may not be covered by your insurance. 

• Lifespan Pharmacy.  Similar to the above, call and let them know that you are looking to buy these medical supplies in bulk.  You will likely need a prescription and orders over a 30 day or 90 supply is unlikely to be covered by insurance.  Shipping to your home is available.
  • Rhode Island Hospital: 401-444-4909
  • The Miriam Hospital: 401-793-5500
  • Newport Hospital: 401-845-1100
  • 180 Corliss Street, Providence, RI: 401-606-8030

• Kent Hospital Medical Equipment and Supply.  Kent Hospital has a medical supply department is accredited and can help you access needles and syringes used for gender care. 
  1. Kent Home Medical Equipment
  2. 1 Knight Street, Building D-15, Warwick, RI 02886
  3. (401) 732-0022 or (800) 232-0644
  4. Fax: (401) 681-1090
  5. Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m; Closed Saturday and holidays.
  6. https://www.kentri.org/services/home-medical-equipment

• ENCORE Needle Exchange.  AIDS Care Ocean State’s ENCORE program is the only needle exchange program in Rhode Island aimed at reduce the risk of HIV transmission.  This service provide FREE access to clean needles and disposal of old/used needles.   No prescription is necessary (note that syringes are not available).
  • Monday: Cranston Street in Providence from 4:30pm-6:30pm
  • Wednesday: Pawtucket & Central Falls 4:30pm-6:30pm
  • Thursday: Prairie Ave. in Providence from 10:00am-1:00pm
  • Friday: Newport (Broadway and Memorial Park) 1:30pm-3:30pm
  • Saturday: Hartford and Manton Ave. in Providence 1:00pm-3:00pm
  • ANYTIME: 557 Broad Street, Providence, RI 02907 401-781-0665

• Trans Needle Exchange.  A non-profit mail-based service providing free HRT needle supplies for trans folk who cannot access or afford their own. We send a month’s worth of supplies to people all around the country. Trans Needle Exchange ships out over 150 packages a month.

• Online Supply Stores, Wholesalers, Amazon/Ebay: There are many websites online where needles and syringes can be obtained.  However, you need to be careful that when ordering online that you are getting your supplies from a trusted source.  Medical supplies should always be packaged in their ORIGINAL, unopened packaging.

If you have any other good resources for getting supplies that you would like to share, then please let us know!