Sharps are medical tools that cut or pierce the skin to manage treatment for allergies, diabetes, cancer, infertility and other conditions in a health care facility or at home.
Sharps are:
- needles – devices that poke the skin to inject medicine
- syringes – devices that hold fluids to go in or out of your body
- lancets – tools that poke your finger to draw blood for testing
- auto injectors – prefilled syringes with a needle for self-injection
- infusion sets – tubes with needles on the end to send drugs into your body
- connection needles and sets – similar to infusion sets but for home use
What should I do with my used sharps?
You should put a used sharp into a Food and Drug Administration-cleared sharps container immediately.
The container:
- is heavy-duty leak proof plastic
- can't be cut or pierced
- has a tight-fitting lid to prevent spilling
You can get containers from pharmacies, medical supply companies, health care providers or online. Sometimes the pharmaceutical manufacturer has a mail back program for your used sharps containers. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if that's available to you.
Why are sharps dangerous to others?
A used sharp can be dangerous to others because they can:
- cause a serious cut
- expose someone to medication unnecessarily
- spread health conditions like hepatitis and HIV
Putting used sharps in the proper disposal container protects anyone who might touch your trash, like custodians, trash collectors, pets or children. Make sure you practice safe disposal anywhere you go whether at home, work, school, visiting family or on vacation.
If you or someone else gets stuck by another person's needle or other sharp:
- Clean the area. You can use soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
- Get medical help by calling your provider or going to the nearest hospital.
Dos and Don’ts of Sharps Safety
There are several dos and don'ts when it comes to sharps safety.
Do:
- dispose of every sharp after use
- use FDA-cleared sharps disposal containers and only fill to the line on the container
- use a laundry detergent bottle as an alternative and only fill three-fourths full
- wrap duct tape around the lid to seal it and label it “Sharps Don't Recycle" if using a laundry detergent bottle
- throw away the sharps container in the regular trash and not in your recycling
- keep needles away from children
Don't:
- reuse sharps or sharps containers
- put your hand in the container with the sharps
- use glass containers or containers made with a thin plastic like soda bottles
- throw sharps directly into the trash
- flush them in the toilet
If you have questions about how to dispose of your sharps properly, ask your provider, pharmacist or other health care professional.