I contacted my GP to say my yellow disposal bin for Metoject pens is full and asked where I should take it.
They sent me a leaflet and a prescription for a needle clipper.
The leaflet says to take bin to the GP but from now on , to clip the needles and put the syringes in a sealed container in the household waste bin!!! Is that correct?
I thought MTX was toxic!
I’m so sick of this lack of communication from the NHS and feeling utterly depressed.
My consultation in August with Rhumy also been cancelled for priority cases. My RA is uncontrolled and I’ve been seen once since diagnosed. Sorry for the rant 🤦♀️
Written by
LinaM
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I’m very surprised you were told to put them in the household waste. I was told never to do that. I’d check with your rheumy nurse. This doesn’t sound right.
I recently had to get rid of a large bin and couldn’t get anyone to collect it ( I was told my local council would but they never responded) then I found out that Boots will take them so I’d google it and find your nearest one that offers this service.
Our Boots said no way! Rheumatology said take it to hospital during a clinic and they'd take it and give you a new one. Thankfully mine was changed just before lockdown. M x
I got very tired of the hospital, whilst they have 28 million bins they never had the purple lids for MTX so they refused to give me one. I gave up and buy them from Amazon (about £5). I'm having problems finding anyone to take the full bins - I now have 3 sitting on the bookcase in the bedroom lol. V
Hi ht. That's what happens with mine but I had to fill in a form at my health centre first and hand it back and they send it off to the council. How are you? xx
That doesn't sound right to me putting them in household waste bins, so I would give them a call again or as KittyJ says perhaps find out if there is a Boots in your area that will collect. Hope you get it sorted satisfactorily. Take care
You need to contact your local council office recycling department. My council sends a van round to pick up the sharps box and leave a new one. I have to ring them and tell them when it's full and they take it from there. Initially I asked my health centre if they would do it and they said they don't but they gave me a form to fill in which I then handed back to the health centre and they send it off to the council. It is toxic waste.
When I told my rheumy nurse that my sharps bin was getting full she told me to get a biscuit tin and put an old towel in the bottom and use that for my Metoject pens, then to take it in with my sharps bin when convenient. (I have to take them to the clinic at the hospital so she wanted to save me an unnecessary trip.)
My sharps boxes are issued by, and have to be returned to the hospital. In lockdown they have sent me a new one to be collected from our local surgery, and I have been told to keep the full one until it is possible to return it to the hospital. Thee seem to be lots of different systems, but I certainly wouldn't be trying to clip the needle from a Metoject pen.
That’s what I thought ... completely scary trying to clip that needle ! I was told by the hospital not to bring it back there when they issued it to me . Thanks for all the replies! Seems like there’s no consistency but have given me lots of ideas ...
Another thing the nurse told me is that it's OK to fill the bin above the line as Metoject pens have a covered needle; the line is there for exposed needles.
You have received standard information for diabetics using injections, not the information for methotrexate. Total misunderstanding of the disposal of toxic waste. Go back to them for proper informed information.
In my area I have to take my sharps box to the library , I believe our local council have rooms there , I just leave the box with the person at the reception desk . Boots wouldn’t take the purple lidded boxes .
Mine wouldn't and neither would our health centre although they did give me the form to complete and they sent it to the local council, who collects my bin and leaves a new one.
I take my full cytotoxic bins to the GP Pharmacy for disposal. I googled and read that cytotoxic waste has to be incinerated. My local council offers a collection service for disabled people who cannot take full bins to GP.
Telling someone to put them in household waste is irresponsible, but a similar thing happened when I wanted to dispose of a couple of old kitchen knives. I took them to our local police station for disposal, only to be told over their outside phone system to put them in household waste! I took them to the local tip and threw them in the metal skip.
My injections are delivered by Alcura who also supply bins and collect them when full, I just phone them and they’re collected.
I can hardly believe what I'm reading! My drugs are delivered by Health Care at Home along with the bins, which are collected when full & replaced with new. I had no idea people were left to their own devices for disposal
My local council has a number on their website under hazardous waste where you can arrange a collection for sharps bins. It can be a one off collection or I can set it up at regular intervals
Yes, MTX is a cytotoxic med & as such pens & syringes must only be disposed of in a yellow sharps box with a purple lid. This explains more fully nhs.uk/common-health-questi...
My box is supplied by my Surgery & when full returned to them for disposal locked & with my name & date on the label, but I appreciate it does differ depending on area, some for example arrange for collection by your local council from your home.
I've a couple of issues with what the leaflet says. First, I don't know how they expect you to clip the needle. The beauty of Metoject pens (& other brands) is that the needle is completely covered by a sheath for safety, you can't physically clip the needle. This is clearly info for syringes only so you have no need for the script for the needle clipper. Second, as MTX is cytotoxic pens & syringes should only be disposed of in a purple lidded sharps box, never in domestic bins whatever they're sealed in. Being cytotoxic it's classed as hazardous waste so it needs to be incinerated & at a higher temp than other non hazardous syringes etc. Clearly disposing of it in domestic bins this wouldn’t happen & would be considered high risk. I would contact your Rheumy team & tell them about this leaflet & see what their reaction is.
I think this is a clear case of GP depending on their receptionists to deal with all calls and enquiries too heavily. I’ve found it impossible to speak to the GP as they now have a system where you explain to the receptionist why you’re calling and they decide what happens next. It’s a disgrace ... thanks for confirming my thoughts . I will not be putting these toxins in the landfill.
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