Safety Needles Are Becoming the Law in Several States

The New Jersey State Senate last week passed a bill requiring the mandatory use of safety needles by all New Jersey healthcare facilities receiving Medicaid reimbursement. The 40 to 0 state senate vote mirrors the unanimous approval of an identical bill passed by the state assembly last month. Once signed by Gov. Christine Whitman, this new law will require that within 12 months, all licensed healthcare facilities in the state that receive reimbursement under the Medicaid program must use FDA-approved safety needle devices.

During that period, the commissioner of Health and Senior Services will designate classes of hollow-bore needle devices that minimize the risk of needlestick injuries to health care workers, in consultation with the nine-member advisory council established by this act and appointed by the commissioner. The advisory committee will consist of five state-licensed health care professionals, one health care economist, one knowledgeable health care services consumer, and two hospital representatives within the state. The commissioner will also ensure that all hospitals receiving Medicaid reimbursements use designated safety hollow-bore needles and provide for appropriate education and training in the use of these devices.

Also last week, Gov. George W. Bush signed legislation that adds Texas to the growing list of states mandating the use of safety needles. With Texas and New Jersey, there are now laws mandating the use of safety needles in states responsible for over 25% of the nation's health care expenditures, according to Med-Design Corp. (Ventura, CA), which manufactures safety needle devices.

Med-Design Chairman and CEO James M. Donegan commented, "We are encouraged by the fact that the New Jersey safety needle legislation passed both houses with such strong support. We are also delighted that Governor Bush has made the use of safety needles a law in Texas. Both states should be commended for their bi-partisan effort to assure that health care workers are protected from the potential of being infected by serious or deadly disease resulting from being stuck with contaminated needles."

At the federal level on May 26, 1999, a bill mandating the use of safety needles in all US healthcare facilities was introduced in the US Senate by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). This bill, the "Health Care Worker Needle Stick Prevention Act of 1999," is identical to the bill introduced in the House of Representatives on May 20, 1999, by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Rep. Marge Roukema (R-NJ). Since May 20, 1999, the bill before the House of Representatives has increased its bi-partisan sponsorship to 63, including 53 Democrats and 10 Republicans.

OSHA plans to revise the bloodborne pathogens compliance directive this fall and include the new and safer technologies now available. When OSHA announced that initiative, OSHA Administrator Charles N. Jeffress said, "Health care workers strive to keep us healthy. We now have an opportunity to provide them with protection from the hazards of sharps and needlestick injuries that can threaten their health and well being. It's time to move forward."