Properly disposing of sharps ““ the needles, syringes and lancets people with diabetes use for finger sticks and insulin injections ““ cuts down on the risk of injuries and infections.
Sharps can cause any injury. In addition, because they come in contact with blood, anyone who accidentally sticks himself with a used sharp is at risk for infection with any number of diseases such as hepatitis or HIV.
What is a “sharp?”
Sharps are classified as medical waste, and laws for disposing of them vary by state. In Kentucky, used sharps can be disposed of with household garbage but they need to go to a specialized landfill, so they should go into a properly marked container available at most pharmacies or medical supply stores, according to Kentucky’s Department for Environmental Protection.
The experts at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston offer these tips for safely disposing of sharps:
- Do not recap syringes; you might cut yourself.
- Separate the “plunger” of the syringe from the barrel to prevent anyone from finding and reusing the syringe.
- Keep used and unused syringes out of children’s reach, and store them where visitors or intruders are unlikely to find and take them.
- When you travel, remember to carry a letter from your doctor stating that you have diabetes and are allowed to carry sharps and syringes. If you can’t safely dispose of used sharps at your destination, store them separately and bring them home with you.
The Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection recommends these steps for legally disposing of used sharps with household garbage:
- Notify your trash hauler that someone in the home has diabetes and the used sharps will need to be disposed of properly.
- Use a specially marked sharps container purchased from your pharmacy. When it’s full, notify your trash hauler that you’ll be disposing of it that week. Place the sealed sharps container on top of the bagged trash so that it’s clearly visible to trash haulers.
- If possible, put a lid on the trash can.
- Don’t dispose of sharps unless they’re in a marked sharps container, and do not flush them down the toilet.
