Sharps vs. Not Sharps

[schooldistrictnurse]

Would you consider a used (discharged but not used on a person) epi pen a sharp or not a sharp for disposal purposes?

[chasinRT]

I would toss it in a sharps container. Technically it's not biohazardous because it hasn't pierced human flesh, but if someone somehow got stuck with it (I know, pretty unlikely) at the landfill or wherever, they wouldn't know that it wasn't biohazardous so would have the whole blood-borne pathogen thing to worry about. Better to just toss it in a sharps box and be done with it.

[nyy2]

I agree with ChasinRT, we put Epipens in the sharps container regardless.

[SassyTachyRN]

We put our old ones, discharged or not, in the sharps.

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

yeah, all sharps, used or not, should go in the bin. i don't want some poor person to get stuck, regardless of BBP risk.

[Oh'Ello, BSN, RN]

Sharp stuff goes in "sharps".

[OldDude]

I'm gonna toss my used demo epi-pens in the sharps container...see you CAN teach an old dog new tricks :)

[chadron]

Any syringe with a hypodermic attached is a sharp. An Epipen is an autosyringe with a hypodermic attached, it goes in the sharps box used or unused, to be discared, in New York.

EPA has determined that epinephrine is not an acute Hazardous Waste but your state may not agree so you will need to check your state environmental agency they can be more stringent. If they have accepted EPA's determination and the Epipen is not used, then it can go in the sharps box. If your state is more stringent then you will need to contact them for proper disposal.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

so while picking up my prescription at my local pharmacy on Saturday i noticed a laminated sign taped to the counter stating that the local hospitals would gladly take syringes for disposal. I smiled, snapped a picture of it and said this works! I can easily make the trek to the local hospital (a whole 5 minutes from the school) to drop off the expired epipens instead is dropping them in my prepaid (and tiny ) sharps. I wonder if the local hospitals around you guys have similar programs.

[schooldistrictnurse]

Flare, they may limit their generosity to sharps for "personal" use.

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

so i called them up - the man i spoke with didn't seem to care. I told him I had several dozen epipens to drop off and he just said to put them in something hard like a coffee can or detergent bottle or big bucket. I repeated that it was a lot - close to a hundred and he said that was fine. I can get big buckets with lids or i can just use coffee cans and just drop off several times a year.

[schooldistrictnurse]

oh good for you. You could always say you're the woman who lives in a shoe and all your kids have severe allergies!