Needle Disposal?

[Krysalus]

Hi Elephant911

I'm in NY too. I checked on the NYC sanitation Dept and found out that you can dispose of these in the garbage provided the are in a sealed container (taped shut) and LABELED. I used a soda bottle until I got my sharps container. Now I use a sharps container that the drug company should provide if you ask.

Local hospitals also have community sharps containers in the hospital where you can put used syringes if throwing them in the garbage makes you uncomfortable. It should be easily assessable. Call your local hospital and ask them where it is if you want to use that option.

Some local pharmacies also take used syringes if you ask them. They shouldn't charge but some do.

Hope this helps.

[rubberlegs]

Its always nice to have needles and syringes in the trash for the garbage sorters to get stuck on, and those blood born dieseases like hepatitis and AIDS. who cares they're just trash handlers.
Its just as good to put the used syringes and needles under the mattresses at any given hotel to stick the maid a good one, by crakeeee.
Share the fun!put them in a neighborhood sand box add some broken glass for texture..
THIS IS ALL SARCASM along with what some drug addicts have practiced in my neck of the woods.

Be a good MS'ers Use your sharps container and dispose of it as required By LAW! Please!

[cosake]

I'll be starting Betaseron in a few weeks - my first MS treatment. Talked to my PCP's office and they said for me to just bring the needles in to them and they will dispose of them for me !

The BetaPlus nurse is going to be sending me a Sharps container.

This is a good thread - it's interesting to hear about the different methods that are accepted in different places.

[Krysalus]

the internet is a great place.

I was shocked at first when I found out that NYC's Sanitation Dept stated that to dispose of sharps as a private citizen, not a dr's office which has different requirements, that all I needed was a sealed, plastic container that was labeled correctly. Somehow that seemed too easy.

When I went on vacation in New Hampshire and Vermont, I checked info here and on those state's websites to find out what was appropriate there. I ended up taking them home in a soda bottle and emptying that into my sharps container.

BD safe clip is wonderful too. I use that AND my sharps container. So far the clip hasn't gotten full. I'll probably dump it in the sharps container too when it is....

[Bob698]

Keeping it simple, contact the people who supply you with your meds. They should be able to send you a Sharps. Even a small one takes months to fill up. Call back when you need a new one.
Disposal can be tricky. Try talking to your Neuro or primary doctor. Sometimes they can get a little testy when you want to offload your med waste in their lab, remind them who prescribed all those needles and vials in the first place.
Seriously, I had to do that with my Neuro. They tend to write the script and then we're on our own, they usually don't consider that we're also handling medical waste until we remind them.