OT - sharps containers

[bound2travel]

A friend of mine has to take three shots a week due to MS. He is now on his fourth sharps container as he can't find any place that will take the full ones. He even tried taking them to the local pharmacy when they were doing flu shots and had a big container, but they refused his. Does anyone have any idea of what he is suppose to do with them?

He lives outside Atlanta if that helps.

 

[SueM in MN]

Have him look up and contact his local health department. I have just my iPod, so can't look anything up right now, so I can't tell you if his would be a city health department ot county. But, they would know where to send him for an answer - I know I answered this question many times when si worked in Public Health. Depending on his state, he may be allowed to place them in the trash if they are 'packaged' in a safe way (which I am not going to detail because different states have different rules).

 

[Tiggerish]

I also do the three shots a week for MS treatment. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan and last summer the city sent out a brochure about hazardous and medical waste disposal for its residents. The instructions for the full sharps container was that it had to be in a hard plastic container with the lid sealed shut (duct taped was recommended), labeled "Medical Waste". Then you just put the sealed container into the regular garbage can that the trash people pick up each week. My neurologist also has told me that I could use a wire cutter and snip the needle off immediately after I used it and throw the separate parts into the regular garbage without anything else needing to be done.

 

[disneymom3]

I too take shots for MS--one a day. Those needles do add up. Strangely, I thought, I was told by our garbage company that I could not dispose of Sharps containers (the actual brand) in the trash. I have to put my used needles in a detergent or other similar bottle, duct tape it closed, label it and throw it in the trash. Sounded really odd to me. My needles easily can poke through those detergent bottles. I asked about that but was told that was the only way I could throw them out. I have checked at local pharamcies and not gotten any answer either. I have not contacted the state though, so thanks for that recommendation. I have two actual Sharps containers from when I first started.

 

[pudge the fish]

Normally Health Departments will take them- they may charge a fee
around here it is like 6.00 to 10.00 disposal fee per container.

 

[melancholywings]

I believe every county or State has different disposal laws. I would check with his local waste management to see if he can dispose of them in the trash. He lives outside a big city - he could also if another pharmacy will take them. Our Fred Meyers will take them but charge like $6.

 

[PatsMom]

I found this website when I was doing some checking on how to dispose of needles away from home. At home, I use a laundry detergent bottle, label it and duct tape it when full. Then I put it in the regular trash. That is legit in New Hampshire, but I don't think it is in all states. It is either that or drive 75 miles to the nearest hospital that will accept and destroy the needles.

http://www.safeneedledisposal.org/

There is a link on the web site to the individual state requirements.

 

[bound2travel]

Thank you for all the replies. I'll be sure to forward the suggestions to my friend when I speak to her this weekend.

Kristi

 

[loriandmatt]

i stongly suggest asking ones' dr about how to dispose of your full sharps container. my husband's rheumatologist offered advise to him. she had several options and knew of the laws about proper disposal in our area. (it can change drastically from area to area.) he ended up going with the option of taking the full sharps containers back to her office and paying a very small fee to have them added into their medical waste disposal service.