How do I get rid of my used needles?

The Suzie @ Wenatchee Insurance, we do our best to answer questions regarding health insurance for our clients. Sometimes we go a little extra like how do you dispose of used needles.

This is a hot topic right now. How does a person properly throw away their needles after they have used them? Insulin, Heparin, Dupixent, etc, there are a lot of medicines that can be done at home that you need to properly dispose of the supplies. You don't want someone to stick themselves by an improperly disposed of used needle.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends that used needles and other sharps be placed in approved disposable containers. They are generally available through pharmacies, medical supply companies, health care providers, and online. Seriously, Amazon has a huge selection.

Let's talk about alternative containers. If an FDA-cleared container is not available, then some organizations and community guidelines recommend using heavy-duty plastic household containers. We found SafeNeedleDisposal.org to be an excellent resource. They need to be leak-resistant, remain upright during use, and have a tight puncture-resistant lid. A good example is a laundry detergent or bleach container. Once the container is about 3/4 Full then tape it closed and dispose in a proper manner.

We have a variety of sites located in the area that can take used Sharps containers for personal use. (Yes, the medical facilities have their own rules regarding proper disposal). When looking at Douglas County, they are only taking official, marked Sharps containers. Here is a convenient list of sites located within 50 miles of Wenatchee:

There are also Mail-Back and container programs. If you are a patent that is actively using an injectable medication and using their provided container then you may qualify for their mail-back program. It is a fairly large list of 51, including Admelog, Humira, etc.

At Wenatchee Insurance, we assist everyone that we can, understand and enroll into Health plans including Apple Health and Medicare. We do this without charging fees and are an Enrollment Center with the Washington Healthplanfinder.

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