Sharps Boxes

[Sid Bonkers]

I believe it depends on your particular local council how and where you acquire and dispose of sharps bins. In some areas they can be collected and dropped off at your GP surgery or local chemists although in my area you have to phone the environmental health services (bin men) and they arrange a call back from a private firm who drop off a bin and when its full you phone them up and they arrange to collect it from you and drop off a replacement.

I used to have to leave mine on the doorstep overnight and it would be gone in the morning and a new one left for me, well I say "a new one" it was actually two or three at a time to save them the cost of collection I assume.

Oddly this thread has reminded me that I still have two bins, one full and one empty that I have had stashed behind my desktop PC case for the last 3 years since I stopped using insulin, I did arrange collection for them twice but both times they failed to collect them and I just forgot about them till I read this thread again.

As my wife works at a local hospital I think I'll give them to here to dispose of in the hospitals clinical waste area, I cant be bothered to phone the council services for a third time.

Here they are :roll: The pen gives an idea of the size of the ones issued here in my borough.

 

[ljwilson]

I buy the small sharp bin from the pharmacy for £1.20 then when they are full I take them to Lloyds chemist

Lorna

 

[dib]

Mine is also on repeat and the local council collect when full, I just call them and they collect on a Tuesday each week.

 

[Paul_PC]

And it rumbles on! I managed to get a 'script for a sharps box from my GP. I thought I'd be sensible and check with my pharmacy that they kept these things or had to order them in. A rude woman on the phone at Day-Lewis told me that they didn't issue them and that I'd have to go to my surgery. I tried to explain again that I had a prescription for it but she wasn't interested and hung up. I've had problems at this pharmacy before and so I contacted the Superintendant Pharmacist who had sorted out their stroppy staff before. Here's the relevant part of the reply...

"I’ll give the pharmacist a call in the morning and find out what is going on. We certainly should be able to supply a sharps box against an NHS prescription - so I’ll have a word and find out what the problem is.

With respect to returning used sharps, in most areas pharmacies are not allowed to accept them unless they have a special contract with the local council, so where you should have been directed is to the local council. The council will either direct you to whoever they contract with to collect sharps boxes, or in some areas the council don’t contract with anyone and have a council service that will come and pick them up themselves. I’ll see if I can find out what the arrangements are in your local area."

I absolutely understand the part about disposal. These things aren't something you'd want being handled by unqualified people! However, is it so difficult for these companies - and the NHS - to train their staff in procedures?

 

[iHs]

Empty plastic 2 litre lemonade bottle serves quite well for needles etc. The blue introducer pins that I use with my infusion sets are given to my friend who uses them as drawing pins on a peg board :lol:

 

[MCMLXXIII]

I took my sharps box to the gp for disposal where they looked at me as if i had leprosy.
Knobs.

Sent from my KFTT using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[LemonTree]

My local council provide them free of charge and I can even request a collection/replacement online and they text me to remind me to leave it outside.

Originally when I was diagnosed I was told to put then in an old bleach bottle because it has a child safety cap and put it in the bin when full. When I mentioned this to my DSN she didn't seem to think this was a terrible idea but I'm much happier disposing of them properly.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[karen 1075]

I have ti take my shapes bins to my local boots the chemist but a few of the staff have said to me "hold in and I'll go and empty them for you"....I've had to explain that you DON'T empty them.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Phoebe13]

I still don't know how/where to take my full sharps boxes and I've been injecting for about 15 years now!!
My GP surgery told me they won't accept them and I should take them to the hospital, I asked at the hospital and they said to take them to my local surgery..

Luckily my mother is a nurse so she takes my full boxes (and I get the massive industrial sized ones and keep it in my bathroom cabinet) away for me every month or two.

I have tried several times to find out how/where I am supposed to get rid of my used needles, and I just get sent around in circles. So frustrating!And now I'm glad - but also a bit shocked - at how many others have the same problem!

 

[Van1946]

Each council is different, though the bin they brings is large but I found a bright kettle cover which I bought in the Hospice shop for 25p and it matches my colours in the bedroom and is not out of place. I take vitamin C which dissolves in water, the container is great for my needles and syringe when I go out it fits in my bag, I even covered it with pretty contact paper, so when it is full I toss them into the large council container. Last year I collected many C containers decorated them and sold them at the hospices fair, they went like hot cakes.

 

[de130770]

were i am in essex i get a small sharps box from the gp sergery it is slighty longer than the insulin pen but very flat would hold apx 9 pens max colour bright yellow

 

[scottish-jim]

I use an old test strip container if I need to test outside of the house,fits in a pocket and I empty it when I get home.

Jolly good idea :thumbup:

I've only just started my sharps box and neither the diabetes nurse nor my pharmacy mentioned how to get rid of it when it's full. I'll just have to cross that hurdle when it comes.

 

[anna29]

Get my sharps bins on repeat prescription.
GP surgery happy to accept full sharps bins of me .

Plus have also registered with my council offices to have full sharps bins collected from my home
a new sharps bin is dropped off and left to use - when full one collected and taken .
Every tuesday is the collection/drop off service day only .
Have to ring up if I need and require this service ...

Seems each area,town etc can vary with the sharps bins rules/regulations.
Shame it isnt all the same option for each area, town it would be so much easier and clearer for everyone .

Anna.

 

[scottish-jim]

i get a small sharps box from the gp sergery it is slighty longer than the insulin pen but very flat would hold apx 9 pens max colour bright yellow

Ooh - Do I need to put the empty pen in the sharps bin?

I know to put the needles in but I thought the pen could go in the trash when empty

 

[noblehead]

Ooh - Do I need to put the empty pen in the sharps bin?

I know to put the needles in but I thought the pen could go in the trash when empty

Not sure about the pens but I put the lot in the sharps bin, I use lantus solostar disposable pens and they fit neatly into a 1 litre sharps bin.

 

[scottish-jim]

Not sure about the pens but I put the lot in the sharps bin, I use lantus solostar disposable pens and they fit neatly into a 1 litre sharps bin.

I'm starting with the Lantus Solostar on monday.

My thinking is if I can put the empty pen in the trash bin then I won't fill my 1 litre sharps bin too quickly. That way I can prolong the hassle of getting rid of a full bin

 

[Cynthia6]

Hi Candyman,
I bought 2 small sharpes boxes off eBay, and keep one in the bottom of my handbag

 

[anna29]

There are 'travel sized' yellow sharps bins ideal for travelling ...

For my daily use I use a klip it [tiny] mini storage box - then when get home
tip all sharps into my 1litre yellow sharps bin .
It is less bulk and rattling around noise in my handbag
Extra idea/tip for you all ...

Anna.

 

[Dawn-M]

I use a needle clipping device so no need for sharps bins.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Paul_PC]

Well end of this saga for me! I went to pick up my sharps box 'script from the GP only to be told they don't issue 'scripts for them! However, they had found a couple of small ones for me (the same as the ones posted on page 2). It's all very confusing and seems to depend on where you live!

Thanks for all the contributions on this one!