Pubdate: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 Source: Blade, The (OH) Copyright: 2000 The Blade. Contact: 541 North Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660 Website: http://www.toledoblade.com/ MOST DOCTORS, PHARMACISTS CAN GIVE NEEDLES TO ADDICTS WASHINGTON--- Most doctors and pharmacists in the United States can legally prescribe and dispense needles to drug users, legal and medical experts said yesterday. The researchers whose work was sponsored by the nonprofit Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said their findings should reassure doctors who had been reluctant to give syringes to drug users for fear of legal penalties. They said the practice helps prevent the spread of disease including the AIDS virus and gives doctors a chance to counsel patients about the dangers of drug use. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek