Hi folks

[chuckinVA]

My name is Chuck Roberts and I was diagnosed as a type 2 in 2001. Just found this forum, and it looks like from reading some of the posts, that it will be very useful to me. In fact I have a question: disposing of sharps has always been a problem for me because I am not close to anybody that will take them. I have a friend who uses a little container that actually snips off the ends of the syringes and stores the needles till full. He then just throws the container away. Anyone have an idea of what I'm talking about? Can you get them on line? Thanks a bunch.

Chuck

[duck]

Hey Chuck,

Welcome to the forum. UVA Medical Center won't take such things?

I googled "sharps disposal" and got a bunch of hits:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sharps+disposal&btnG=Google+Search

Also, I know someone here about a year and a half ago mentioned something about getting the canisters mail-order, but I don't think they said how they dispose of them.

I get a sharps container from Fairfax Hospital and return it for a new one when full.

[gettingby]

Hi Chuck and Welcome. Glad to have you here. I thought sharps containers were available at most big chain pharmacies but I've been wrong before.

[Cyborg]

Try your local fire station. :stupido2:

Welcome aboard :wavey:

[kgm0612]

Welcome Chuck. Great people and a ton of information to be found here.

Give your doctor's office a call and ask them if you can drop off your medical waste to them once a month. You can also dispose of your diabetes supplies by putting them in a coffee can and then wrapping it with duct tape when it is full. Mark "medical waste" on the top and dispose with your weekly garbage.

My sister is a nurse so I give her my coffee can when it's full and she takes it to the hospital to dispose of.

Karen

[ProudNanaof5]

Welcome :wavey:

[BobbyT]

Hi Chuck!
Someone told me that CVS pharmacy on 5th street had the containers but I haven't been in there to see. I toss my lanclets in a metal tin with a red label and when it's full I'll toss it in our local dumpster.

[notme]

Welcome aboard Chuck. I cap sharps and throw them away. If there is no cap, I use a sharps container and dump it.

[zic]

Hi chuck welcome to the forums ,with regards to the sharps container ,i get mine from the local path centre .When i get my monthly blood tests done i give them my old one and they give me another ,which is great because they don't charge you for them like the chemists do over here,just a thought you can only ask :tee:

[NealJ]

Chuck. I know that you can get them online from Staples. I don't know if they sell them in the store, but the website has them.

[ramrummy]

We put our sharps into a fruit juice bottle and take them to a sharps friendly chemist or hospital, I was told that any container that you can not put your hands into is ok. We also use the baby wipes containers with the holes in the top. I am sure that your local council, hospital would be able to point you in the right direction. If it is illegal to put them in your garbage as it is here in Australia, you would think someone would be taking them and I can not understand why your hospital wont - they are after all disposing of their own needles. But hey, that would be logical and bureaucracy is not known for its common sense.

[mark-TN]

The Cadillac of needle disposal is The Disintegrator Plus (http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=304070&navAction=jump&navCount=1&id=prod381471) insulin needle destruction device. But it is rather expensive.

A less expensive option are Sharps Containers (http://www.walgreens.com/search/search_results.jsp?_dyncharset=ASCII&term=sharps+container&section=A&%2Fsearch%2Fsearchbase%2FSearchOptions.resultsperP age=10&_D%3A%2Fsearch%2Fsearchbase%2FSearchOptions.result sperPage=+&_DARGS=%2Fcommon%2Fnavigation%2Fheader_fg.jsp.1&x=17&y=9) available at your local pharmacy or online.

And last but not least the most affordable option and the method I use is empty laundry detergent bottles. (http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580/1d/pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/89355/300.jpg) I use any sturdy plastic container. When full I tape it securely with duct tape and throw it in the garbage. This is legal in TN. If you need to take your sharps to a medical disposal center in your state they should not have a problem accepting a sealed sturdy plastic container, but I’m sure you can call them to verify.

Mark