Where do I take my full Sharps container and do they give me a new one when I turn in the full one? Mine is now full because the Humira Pens are much bigger than the syringes I started out with. My doc office gave me no info on that and of course I spaced out asking lol.
I did my research on injectable mtx. It is .09 per 2ml vial at my Walgreens. That vial would last me 2 injections at the highest dose. The price is comparable to buying the pills. So when doc back from vacation I am calling him promptly and right away.
You might want to double-check on the injectable mtx. The vials I have also have 2ml, but they are one-use only vials. In other words, I have to toss the left-overs out after I've withdrawn my 20mg. I do have drug coverage, so it's not a financial burden, but it's such a waste. Make sure you ask your doc about resuing the vial.A little off topic here. There is a saying that if you don't like the weather in the midwest wait five minutes. That is so true today! Right now it is storming with hail and then we are going to get an inch of snow tonight!!!
Thanks for the info on the mts and the sharps container!
skittles - that is exactly why I left my home in WI for sunny AZ.
It is beautiful again today. You can tease me next summer when it is 115 for the 3rd day in a row.
I was told I could take them to the fire department. Still haven't tried it yet. Haha Liz, when I talked to mom last night (the night you're talking about the hail) she said "oh, we didn't get that here. It snowed so beautifully. We got 2 inches and it was all BIG fluffy snowflakes" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Amazing how much different it can be only a couple hours away, huh? ;-) Did it ever snow for you? OH! And Dad was working at the Milwalkie...that is SO not spelled right....airport yesterday! They never tell me these things. :/I have a full sharps container now sitting on top of my garage frig. I called my RD's office before an appointment once and asked if they could despose of it for me. She said no; they couldn't take it but that all I needed to do was tape it up real good and throw it out with the trash. That didn't really sound right to me....so it's still sitting on top of the frig in the garage. I've had to resort to putting my Humira pens in a large zip lock bag. I don't quite know what to do with them....their too big for the container and they won't fit in a soda bottle either.
I'd welcome ideas too.
If they tell you to "tape it up real good and throw it away" you should ask them if you can use THEIR trash can, and see what they say. LOL When they say no, ask why not? Scared? HahahaLovie,
Try putting them in the hard plastic fabric softener or clothes washing containers.
I was told too that I can tape it up and put it in the trash. I haven't filled it yet but when I do I will double-check w/the town (they're in charge of trash collection). I think if you call the place you get your injections from, (I use a place called CAremark) they will send you a new empty one. Mine came with my initial Enbrel delivery.Angel~That's an excellent idea! The mouth on those are a lot bigger. Perfect!Good Morning to all, I am glad I read all the messages. I am starting on mtx injections in two weeks and I never thought of a sharp container.where do I get all the things I need all the drug store gave is my vial for the shots. I surpose they will tell me when I go for my first shot I hate them and I have to learn how to do it. I hope I can. Joan My doc office gave me my initial sharps container. I am going to call my health dept. Monday morning to see what I do with it and how to get a new one. I called the Walgreens where I live and they do not take them and told me to call the health dept. that they would know what I need to do. The lab where I get my blood drawn told me I could bring my sharps container there. If they have an extra one at the time, they would give me a new one, if not--tough luck. However, I get my Humira from Medco and which each re-order, they ask if I want/need a new sharps container for free. I would certainly think twice about putting them out with the trash. (Do they sit out seperatley or do you put the Sharps in the big trash bin?) I don't like having the needles in my house--I am so afraid some druggie will find out and break in to get the needles. If they are out with the trash--that is telling the whole world--I have needles. I am surprised the drs. offices do not take them. I guess the big pen Humira looks different enough, someone might know what they are. I am interested to hear what everyone finds out about disposing of them.Every state, county and city's laws are a little different.
In Wisconsin - it is ILLEGAL to put sharps (whether in a container or not) in the garbage. Because they are BIOLOGICAL waste - they have to be incinerated. I would think most laws are somewhat similar.
We've all heard of the barges filled with medical waste.....and beaches where medical waste washes up.
Your local health department will know what to do with them. Give them a call. Many pharmacys, fire departments, hospitals and health departments take them for proper disposal.
Same here in NY. Sharps have to be taken to official disposal sites. The NYS health dept sent me a list of drop off points and times.
Love the idea of using a laundry soap jug for disposal! I recyle them anyways, so it would be good to put it to another use before it gets disposed of. The sharps containers are made of so much plastic, it's a waste. Even though my pharamacy will give me new ones as needed, I think I'll use the laundry soap jugs from now on.
I already knew it was illegal to put my sharps container in the garbage. I would never do that anyways. The health dept. will direct me on what to do with it.I have about 5 extra sharps containers Freak-Mart sent we one with every shipment. I can send some of you one if you need it. I was told by CareMark that they would send me a new one free of charge when I needed it, just to mention it when I ordered my refill of Humira.
I use empty Laundrey detergent hard plastic containers. I checked with local authority and they told me to mark the container and throw it in my trash. I live in Ohio.
Yes, either go on Humira's website or call them--they have a program--they send you a box with a new sharps container. You put your full in the box and drop it at the post office. No postage necessary--no questions asked. I have done this and it is so nice.
I was sneaky about this. I take some in with me when I seen my PCP and put them in the sharps container in the exam room. Shhh...don't tell. Before that, when I was a med. lab tech. student I would take them with me and they let me dispose of them in the sharps containers there. Abbott has the program mentioned above, but when I was on Humira they never sent me anything about it. I requested the service, just never got anything. I have no clue what happened there but I'm starting Remicade again so I don't have to worry about sharps disposal anymore.I called our waste company and they said to go ahead and place the sharps container on top of the garbage and they'll take. Have done this twice and no problem. I suppose each state is different though. I can request new containers with my enbrel delivery, but they sent the smaller ones - the sureclick pens don't quite fit.
The containers from Enbrel really are small - I'd say travel size. My specialty pharmacy sent me one and it's as big as the ones in my RD's office. It's been a year, and the container isn't even half full yet.