Why do I go through the hassle of sharps containers, saving the boxes, tracking manifests, when none of the numerous diabetics I know do the same? Am I the only one following the rules here, or is it something else?

I know, this is a minor matter. I guess I'm curious.

You're supposed to save the boxes they come in?


I still have yet to figure out how and where to dispose of the Sharps containers. No idea who to give them to. I've only gone thru three or four of them and am keeping the full ones on top of the freezer in the store room. I do have one ginormous Sharps container that I've only tossed a few syringes into. It's such a huge container that it wont fit on my countertop by the sink. It also lives in the storeroom with the other Sharps. It's the one I use if the Sharps container that I keep in my bathroom gets full.

Last time I got a shipment, it was from a new pharmacy. They sent me this flimsy little plastic box with a plastic lid. I cant get the lid to stay on...and that thing is supposed to be a Sharps container?? I like the ones the look like red milk bottles.

The local disposal rules are different everywhere. Here, heavy plastic (not milk or water) container, tape lid on and put in regular trash. There is no reason to try and track anything, and you don't need to save the boxes unless you need a label for travel.

I use the BD safe clip. you stick the needle in the side, and snap it shut. it snaps off the needle into the clipper. Its about the size of a mans thumb. it holds a lot of needles. I do copaoxone and use one a year. Thats 365, and its still not full.

I recycle my glass syringe into the recycle bucket, and ta da. no more red bucket. Once a year I take my thumb bucket, and drop it into the MDs bucket. (i ask first)

My pharmacist actually recommended using an old coffee can, with a cut on top. I haven't done this yet, still using the Sharps containers.

You can dispose of the Sharps containers at most fire stations for free. I admit though, I have two old ones sitting in my storage room.

When I had a home health nurse one time she said that using an old heavy plastic laundry dtergent bottle was fine.

I also use the needle snipper. It's great. No worries. I recently went on vacation in Mexico...and it was so easy to just bring the snipper and not have to worry about anything else. Greatest little gadget...and cost less than $5!

~keri

I also use the BD safe clip. I feel a lot safer with it. However, when I mentioned it to a nurse from the Betaseron group, I was told that I should be disposing the syringes in a sharps container and not just throwing them in the trash.

So, the sharps container is nearly full--without the sharps--and I'm going to close the lid, tape it up, and stick it in the trash. This just doesn't make any sense to me. If the needle isn't on the syringe anymore, then the apparatus isn't a biohazard, right??

I have a question that goes along with this....

I had to stop taking copaxone due to my body rejecting it... I have a box and a half of unused syringes...

What should I do with those???

You can call your local MS society, and ask if they can use them. Speak to your MS md and ask if he can donate them to a patient in need. You can take them to a local pharmacy for proper disposal. it must be said that it is ILLEGAL to transfer a prescription in your name to anyone other than the person it was prescribed to. That being said, several MS places will take them in to rehome them. Your MS MD would know who in the area was in need.