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safe disposal of lances?

neil1945

Active Member
Messages
32
Location
Yeovil
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi - I am a newbie - only being diagnosed last week. I signed up on this site for a free meeter to test my blood readings to enable me to understand the effects of my diet better.

Now I will seem stupid - I know of sharps bins in hospitals and Doctors - Do I need on for the lances and if so how do I get one and how do i dispose of the bin??
 
The yellow sharps bins generally come either from your gp or if under diabetic nurse,from her,or if under hospital team from them. Repeats are usually from g.p....... you are correct testing strips and finger prickers go into the box..you may get told testing strips don't have to and can be disposed of in household waste. But as they contain a small amount of blood I was told put into yellow sharps bin......drs have to pay to dispose of bins so they will want you to fill it right up to the line.......
 
In NZ we aren't given sharps bins (as far as I know, maybe T1s are). So made my own out of an old 1 litre yoghurt container. I cut a small hole in the lid. This is sometimes referred to as "kiwi ingenuity"
 
Where I live the local council deal with sharps bins disposal. You have to be referred to them by the GP surgery. The bins cannot be taken into the GP surgery .
 
In the UK, the procedure is to ask your GP for a sharps bin. The official title is "Sharpsguard yellow 1". A note left at reception will do, no need for an appointment, but check with the receptionist. When you have the prescription, collect the box from your pharmacy, they keep them in stock. Depending on the lances you use, and how often you test, that should last for months. When full, or up to the line, contact your local environmental health, part of the council. You can usually do that by e-mail. You will get a reply stating which day it will be collected. On that day, you leave it out by your front door. Before you do that, push the lid down hard, that locks it, for the safety of the collector.
 
Ladies don't put their sanitary towels in sharps bins neither do you put plasters in sharps bins. Sharps bins are for sharps only so that waste disposal men/women do not get stick injuries.

@neil1945 look on your councils website for disposal of clinical waste then you know exactly what you need to do regarding the disposal of your sharps.
 
I agree with @CarbsRok, only needles need go into the sharps bin. Test strips can be safely disposed of in the household waste. It all depends of course as to where you live, but where I am, I'm lucky enough to have a council that delivers new sharps bins and collects the full ones at the same time.
 
All sharps go in the sharps bin and everything else in the household waste bin, I return my sharps bin to my Dr's for disposal.
 
So how do you cope if your GP does not agree that you should be testing? Is there another way to get a sharps bin?
 
I asked my Doctor for a sharps bin and was told by them to ask the pharmacy who said to ask the Doctor. Everyone loves to pass the buck these days. I have asked the nurse only to be told no... Just put everything in the house hold waste. When I said I didn't think that was vey safe all she said was sorry we don't issue them to type two diabetics.

I am drug controlled, have been issued a letter from GP I must rest before I drive as the drugs can give me a hypo ( thankfully only have had one as I know the signs now. So I can have at least 8 lances a day to dispose of. I put them in an old supplements bottle child are child proof, fill it up then go along to Doctors and ask to empty them into their sharps bin. They give me a bin to do it myself. But never been refused... Yet .

I keep the strips till they are dry and then dispose of in normal waste bin
 
I used to ask my doctor but Boots pharmacy told me you can get from them, just go in and ask and they will give you one then they take them back once full and dispose of them. Different areas have different rules though.
 
P1ckle said:
So how do you cope if your GP does not agree that you should be testing? Is there another way to get a sharps bin?
Click to expand...
You can buy one from a pharmacy for a couple of quid
 
Thank you. Heading into town tomorrow
 
This never even occurred to me. My strips go in the normal household waste bin (so inside a plastic bin liner) and my lancets do too - although I do always put the top from the new one onto the old one so the needle can't hurt anyone.
 
I am testing through the test program from here so dr does not know, I am seeing my DN on 1 sept so will put them in a safe bottle or similar till then and ask her!!

Thanks every body - I know so little its all new - so stupid questions will come
 
I have a fastclix lancet device which uses barrels - these can go in the household waste as you don't handle the needle at all, it's all contained. Much simpler!
 
neil1945 said:
I am testing through the test program from here so dr does not know, I am seeing my DN on 1 sept so will put them in a safe bottle or similar till then and ask her!!

Thanks every body - I know so little its all new - so stupid questions will come
Click to expand...
There is no such thing as a stupid question. You're only stupid if you don't ask. We've all been Newbies at some time and the only way we've learned is by asking questions. So do carry on..........
 
Looks like where we live has lots of differerent disposal systems.....
What's right for one is different for another.....
 
well in my area you have to have a prescription for a bin, the local sainsbury's pharmacy are the only place contracted via the council to take full bins. I bought a 12 for 1.20 each online, (bigger than prescribed ones) I put everything in the bins, lancet, needles, strips, wipes, if I have a plaster for any reason in it goes, same with nail cuttings.
Regarding female hygiene products, rather than fill up waste sites when there is an abundance of reusable products, that in the long run save money
 
I had never even thought about a sharps bin. Mine just go in the normal rubbish but it has given me something to think about. I might have to put a container aside for them.
 
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