Sharps Box Disposal Nightmares!

wondermouse

Newbie
Messages
4
I am stuck in sharps box disposal hell.

My GP surgery, and the doctor who prescribed them say they don't dispose of them, you must take them to the chemist.

The chemist, that issued them, says no they won't take them, you need to take them to the surgery.

So no-one will take responsibility for disposing of them safely.

What are my rights - what can I insist on? I really do not want to put them in the general household rubbish.

Thanks.

Mark
 
C

catherinecherub

Guest
Hi wondermouse,
I would phone your local council offices and see if they will take them. That is what happens in the area that I live in.

Catherine.
 

wondermouse

Newbie
Messages
4
Not being around during the day makes collection difficult, however my wife tried to arrange this - she booked a day and time and guess what - they didn't show up!

I find it incredible that neither Boots nor the surgery will take these in. :(
 
C

catherinecherub

Guest
Hi wondermouse,
Sadly it is all down to cost. Both the surgery and the chemist have to pay to have it collected.
Be firm with the council and demand that they honour their collection date would be my advice.

Catherine.
 

suzi

Well-Known Member
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Hi Mark,
Had the same trouble myself, so took mine to the local dump, where the nice man said i could put them in with the sharp knives recycling bank.
Worth a try.
Suzi x
 

SophiaW

Well-Known Member
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1,015
Type of diabetes
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Pump
Our council collect the full box and drop of a new replacement. If we're going to be out they ask that we leave the box outside the front door and they'll leave the new one there for when we get home so no need to stay in all day waiting for them.
 

tigger

Well-Known Member
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I just put them in a cereal box and tape it shut then put in general rubbish. Not ideal but no complaints ever received.
 

kay957

Well-Known Member
Messages
177
Type of diabetes
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tigger said:
I just put them in a cereal box and tape it shut then put in general rubbish. Not ideal but no complaints ever received.
The problem with that is, that it would go then to recycling, some of this is handled by man not machine, it maybe ok so far but I am sure the recycling team won't be very happy.
 

suffolkboi61

Well-Known Member
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my health centre happily take my full box and prescribe me a new one no bother. it seems sharps boxes are the same as test strip, it depends on where you live?
 
Messages
1
Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

Hi all,

I am not sure if this topic has been posted before or if it would be better placed as a I am new around here! Apologises if it has...

I have jut been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and because my blood sugar is all over the place I have been instructed to test my blood suagr 4 times a day until the foreseeable future. I was given lancets to use for this purpose. Before I left, I asked the nurse about disposal of the lancets (she had given me no indication of how to handle them). I was told that I should have a sharps bin however it was hard enough for the GP surgery to get them and if a spare one became available she would keep it for me, until then I was to use an old bleach bottle.

Having read several articles, I am now under the impression that there should have been no question about giving me a sharps bin as the lancets are classed as clinical waste. I have kept all the used ones in a container at home for now so I am not just throwing them out.

I was wondering if anyone could offer advice about what I should do since my GP surgery is clearly reluctant to give ou sharps bins. Where else can I go for one?

Thanks :D
 

Synonym

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Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

I think that there should be some provision made for disposing of what is clearly hazardous waste. :shock:

I got my sharps box from the hospital clinic and anticipate/hope that they will exchange it when necessary. :roll:

Just a thought, I wonder if you could empty your sharps into the sharps bin at your surgery anyway :?:
 

china

Member
Messages
18
Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

At both my GP's surgery and local dispensary there are notices asking people to contact the local council for a free sharps box - and the relevant contact details given. The Council's environmental/recycling department have responsibility for disposing of sharps equipment in the appropriate manner. I phoned up and received my box 2 days later. What a brilliant service!
 

Hobs

Master
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Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

china said:
At both my GP's surgery and local dispensary there are notices asking people to contact the local council for a free sharps box - and the relevant contact details given. The Council's environmental/recycling department have responsibility for disposing of sharps equipment in the appropriate manner. I phoned up and received my box 2 days later. What a brilliant service!

Yep, my local council is the same. One phone call and they brought the size of my choice to my front door. They will also collect and bring a replacement by calling the same number.
 

Serena51

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Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

My sharps box was written up on the prescription when I got my test strips and lancets for the first time.

Only problem is how to dispose of once full as both the chemist and the DN had told me that each other would take it! Having read this post I will now contact my local council. Thanks all.
 

ham79

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Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

my sin bin is on script and handed back to the surgery for disposal
 

AndyS

Well-Known Member
Messages
784
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

My sharps bin is on prescription and I drop them off at my pharmacy when I get repeats.

What I have done a couple of times in the past is to use a small drinks bottle (500 diet coke bottle was mine) and just popped the sharps in there.
While I got an odd look at the pharmacy when I dropped it off they still threw it in their larger sharps bin for later collection.

Speak to your Dr to get it on script.

A
 

crushersmum

Active Member
Messages
28
Type of diabetes
Parent
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I do not have diabetes
Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

It depends on where you live - My GP has put the bins on the prescription as the diabetic nurse told he they were needed - a letter from the hospital can help here, and the local council collect them (& even take bookings for collection via email!) and ALSO leave a new bin at the same time . This is easier than getting them from the GP so I only use the council service. Whereas my sister ( who has 2 insulin dependant diabetics in the house so uses a lot of needles) has a local council who don't supply the bins, but will collect them for free, and a GP who is also reluctant to supply them too, so she orders 10 at a time over the internet (which is the cheepest way to buy then) and stores the spare bins till needed - disposing via the free council collection service.

There is also a tiny thing called a needle clipper, which can be used to cut off the sharp end of the needle or lancet that we do get on prescription for cutting off the sharp points & that you dispose of the whole plastic device when full - very useful for safety when disposing of sharps when out for the day.
 
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shirleymarye

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Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

This is something that has always bothered me,I am Type 2 and test every day but have never been sure what to do with the used lancets or test strips,I moved here to Scotland about 9 years ago and I asked at the surgery about getting a proper container for them or disposing of them at the surgery and was told No I couldn't get a container and No I couldn't dispose at the surgery! Since then I have put them into a glass jam jar and when it's full I empty it into a strong box and wrap it up well and tape it and then throw in with the general rubbish,if they don't want to know about them,then neither do I. I would hate to think that someone got pricked with one of these things but it's not my fault is it?
 

kmckinty

Newbie
Messages
4
Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

Hi

I was given a cute little meter called an Accu-chek Aviva Nano. It takes cartridges rather than single lancets. The needles are inside the cartridge and there are between 4 and 6 in each load. You pop it in and twist the pricker each use to load each new needle. After you have used all the needles in the cartridge you just pull it out and insert another one - no sharp edges at any time. The clinic did not tell me to dispose of in a sharps bin - so I just chuck them in the house bin. I hope this is OK. It is really convenient. There is no actual instruction with the meter, just a short reminder that blood can carry infection, but it does not mention sharps and looks more like a "It's there so we can shrug if someone sues us, but we don't really need it" type thing.

The one concern I have is - what happens when flying. Do I have to pay a fortune to have hold luggage just so I can take my meter and cartridges or will then let me take them on the flight? Anyone know?

Karin
 

g-man

Member
Messages
18
Re: Sharps Disposal - Help Needed

You can take them on the flight.

I got a note from the doctor saying how I need my insulin, meter, test strips, lancets etc. Never been asked to see it going through the airport in over 5 yrs!