Sharpes box disposal

[scorpiojo]

Well I just called a big Tesco and they say they don't dispose and Council would and then the council said they don't take them you take it back to who sold you the box!! Can't see Amazon approving? Not sure what next? Any thoughts 😊

[hunny59]

Could you see if a local pharmacy participates in the Needle Exchange programme? I get my needles and sharps containers from there - sometimes I just have the box to drop off - they ask me if I'm collecting and I just say no but they take the containers no problem

[scorpiojo in reply to hunny59]

I've just called Asda pharmacy and they said GPs or hospital I feel like I'm going round in circles lol... No one even suggested that... It's going to put me off if I have to behave like a junkie 😞

[scorpiojo in reply to hunny59]

I just called a pharmacy that does participates and they won't take them unless you are prescribed the stuff and given the box!!

[hunny59 in reply to scorpiojo]

The whole point of a Needle Exchange is that most folks using them aren't using prescription anything Go in, ask for a needle exchange, get the needles with the sharps bin and drop off the one you have. And no, you don't have to behave like a junkie - I certainly don't!

[Lisahelen]

I take mine to chemist or asda with pharmacy.

Only other thing i can suggest is that you ring your local council, surely they have a list of approved disposal points.

[scorpiojo in reply to Lisahelen]

as I say in the post council don't take them have said try the GP or Hospital... I spent ages on the phone while woman at chemist that permits re Needle exchange said unless you are prescribed the needles etc.. I explained it was b12 needles she said only if you had th stuff on prescription... But thanks

[Galixie in reply to scorpiojo]

When all else fails, if you really cannot find a proper disposal place, you can securely tape up the container so that it would take strong determination to get into it, make sure it is labeled as medical waste and throw it out with the trash. At least, that is the recommendation here in the US as far as I am aware. The main concern is anyone going through the landfill and potentially injuring themselves on your disposed needles. That's why they recommend sealing it well and labeling it. It isn't ideal, but if nowhere else will take them, what do they expect you to do?

[fbirder in reply to Galixie]

A proper sharps bin will have a locking lid, just to prevent anybody not armed with a hacksaw from opening it.

[scorpiojo in reply to fbirder]

lol

[hunny59 in reply to scorpiojo]

The woman at your chemist is mistaken. The whole point of the Needle Exchange programme is so that addicts can get clean needles and have somewhere to dispose of the used needles to minimise contamination and infection from shared needles.

Nice to know that it's not just GPs who haven't got a damned clue. I have two chemists locally who participate in the programme and on no occasion have I been asked for a prescription. They are not allowed to ask you why you need the needles. They may potentially take you one side or into a quiet room to give you advice on quitting using drugs but they cannot refuse to supply you if you ask for needles.

[Pixielula]

When I used insulin I had a sharps box delivered by my local council, when it needed picking up I would ring them they would give me the date, bring a new one and collect the full one. I never had any problems.....

[scorpiojo in reply to Pixielula]

They said unless I had a prescription for whatever they wouldn't take the bin 😞 I thought the whole idea was that they would just take any needles for safety

[Pixielula in reply to scorpiojo]

Well I did have a perscription for my needles but not once did anyone ask to see it, I just rang said I'm diabetic and need a sharps box, next week it arrived. incidentally the needles used for blood glucose monitoring have to be disposed into a sharps box also...... Never did anyone ask to see my scrip or speak to my dr .....

[Pixielula]

Sharps boxes have a one way closure .... Once you close it you cannot get them open again....

[Gambit62 Administrator]

These are links to the advice given in relation to Oxfordshire and the various districts there

southoxon.gov.uk/services-a...

pharmacythamesvalley.org.uk...

oxfordshiredaat.org/2012/Fo...

Its far from ideal as the assumption is that it is either an abandoned needle from illegal use or something that has been prescribed in which case the GP/surgery is the first point of contact - not really a reflection of the reality we find ourselves in. Oxford City does seem to have a particular service but other district councils don't - leaves me wondering if I'm going to die leaving a garage full of old needs - have a couple of buckets I've accumulated in the last few years

if you find yourself in the same position as anyone in most of the local district areas in Oxfordshire then it sounds as if the only choice is going to be to contact a health centre/district nurse and see what they suggest.

I've also thought about asking my local vets what they do - there must be services out there but it is probably a question of how economic they are for small amounts.

also came across this ... and at one point it mentioned tattoo outlets - so if you have a local tattoo parlour that's another place you could try asking to see what they do.

[fbirder in reply to Gambit62]

Here's what Horsham Council say on their site -

Clinical waste collections

Horsham District Council offers a free weekly collection service for domestic properties. We collect the following items

Bandages

Incontinence Pads

Needles/sharps

Stoma bags

Clinical waste is collected on a set day depending on which area you live in. We will provide you with a sharps box and/or bags as required which will be replaced after each collection.

To set up a clinical waste collection please call the Customer Care Team at Medisort

Medisort:

Tel: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

All information we receive is dealt with in the strictest confidence.

When you call them there is no inquisition, they just ask for a name and address and tell you to leave the bin out on a certain date.

[scorpiojo in reply to fbirder]

Have added the picture from ours lol

[Retren]

If it Isn,t enough coping with everything else to have to struggle disposing of needles etc.What do the patients on insulin do?

[scorpiojo in reply to Retren]

Because they have a GP prescription they can take to surgery when full... I don't so can't.

[nomizo]

Am I just lucky or what? I get a prescription from my GP for hydroxocobalamin and, from time to time, a sharps box. When the sharps box is filled, I take it, with the next prescription for another sharps box, to the nearby little chemist, and they take the old filled one to dispose of it. I was under the impression that even chemists have a "contaminated, surgical waste" bin - and if they do not, they might, for all I know, be unlawful.

The real problem is with getting syringes and needles. Chemists only seem, at least in this area, to stock insulin syringes and needles. So I ask the surgery for syringes, needles and sterets, and they provide them - to be exact, the practice nurses provide them. The other alternative, which I used some 20+ years ago, until I was able to explain the problem to the GP (a different GP, when we lived elsewhere), is to buy them for pence from a vet! Vets have exactly the same stuff as doctors but apparently don’t do sterets, but one can always use surgical spirit and cotton wool.

[scorpiojo in reply to nomizo]

very lucky 😊

[sweetnessandlight]

If you Google the name of your local council followed by "needle exchange" you should get a list of participating pharmacies.

[Rebecca85]

I used my local needle exchange until recently. Now they stopped supplying my needles due to the system changing, and you have to register as a drug addict in order to obtain them. The pharmacy told me this is because the government now want to know who is using the service and advised me not to register! I am not sure if this is in all areas as I am in Wolverhampton. This left me with major problems as my gp would not prescribe needles and so now I get them from medisave online. However they did agree after much deliberation to prescribe me a sharps box which I will return to the GP surgery when full.

[helvella in reply to Rebecca85]

Are you sure they will accept the full sharps box? I know the boxes can be prescribed, but have read they sometimes/never accept them back.

[scorpiojo in reply to helvella]

I shall not be telling GP I'm self injecting...

[scorpiojo in reply to helvella]

I have added a pic up of our council help lol...

[Rebecca85 in reply to helvella]

Yes mine does but I think it varies according to the location of your GP surgery.

[Hidden]

I use my local Needle Exchange. They're very good. The counsellor there is very helpful and competent.

As well as disposing of the old sharps-bins they give free replacements - and also free syringes which are much better than the ones I used to buy in Boots the chemist.

I've also had some very practical advice on self-injecting.

They're quite used to supporting people who are using non-NHS medication.

[Sunnysidoop]

I have a little device that snips the needle off the syringe, and keeps it safe inside, so the syringe can go into the bin