What happens to the needles and pens?

[SoCoolFan]

Hi
How do you get a rid of the used needles and pens? Thanks

They are regulated, they are prescription only.

I was informed at least three times they should be disposed of in a sharps bin - once when ordering and a sharps bin was offered to be added to my order if needed, once in the email from my provider with information about the medicine and then again in the patient information leaflet the comes with MJ.

It is the same with any prescription medication that is injected whether it is insulin needles, steroid needles etc. I have a family member who is under a hospital consultant and injects steroids for a medical condition, and she didn't have a sharps bin (she does now).

There will always be those who ignore what their Dr said, or didn't pick up why or don't bother to read information (3 times!) or even just engage their brain and common sense like the poster above who puts the lids back on ignoring that there is a sharp at the back of the pen needle too!

They come with a sharps bin.
You take to the chemist when full.
It tells you on the leaflet.

@WeAllHaveWings has shown that the patient information leaflet has very clear instructions. Each instruction step also tells you what to do with each item used.

Tbf, I was sent him from hospital after my c sections with clexane injections to self administer and was not given any instructions about disposals or sharps bins. So it's not necessarily to do with the fact that these are prescribed online.

You should have a sharps bin anyway , put the pens in as well if you don’t use the recycling system described above .
My understanding is there is medication left in the pens quite often.

No medicine of a type should be put in bins or flushed down toilet etc . It should be either handed into pharmacy for safe disposal or into sharps container.
Do not use a perceived difficulty with finding someone to take the containers to do something illegal and dangerous to waste handlers etc and that is illegal.

If you haven't got a sharps bin, at least put them in a jam jar with the lid securely on. You can buy sharps bins on Amazon.

No because they will not be accepted for proper disposal if they are not in a proper sharps bin.
They must be in one and disposed off by eg a chemist accepting sharps disposal . Search link above to see about sharps disposal . It is illegal to put them in general waste.

@DragonFly98 and @Lollygaggle I think you must have misread my post. I'm not putting needles in household waste. I'm using a sharps bin. It's nowhere near full yet but I'll dispose of it properly when it is.

I might email the Mounjaro manufacturer and ask if they could start a similar when scheme as it would be better if recycled

Yes, they do come with that advice. But people don't read it/ don't pay attention. OP won't be the only one doing this.

Most of the companies you can buy these injectable weight loss drugs from say on the website that they will send you a sharps bin with your medication, but they don't.

It's concerning because the whole thing is really not being regulated properly.

You can recycle your pens here

https://order-form.pen-cycle.co.uk/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2u8SHpQ-wUrcluBoUjif3HWeyTrdTafqEXx-Ww5daQNX8QVb5NPEdoEK0aemm_gBA8SF6nnU80ILC9Vmrl5A

The patient information leaflet says it is fine to put the used pens in household waste. No need for the hand wringing.

Have you purchased weightloss medication? I've never heard of a company not providing a sharps bin.

ZAVA offers one for purchase at checkout, they don't automatically send one.

Some people don't read the instructions and/or just try to save money by not buying one.

Yeh it's just the previous poster was suggesting they say they will send it but then don't - can't say it's something I've come across!

That's what happened to me with my first order (Medexpress). Anyway, I contacted them the same day and received a bin, free of charge, a couple of days later. So it does happen, but I'd read the blurb and knew I needed one - others might not it seems.

I use Zava, there's an option to tick which asks if you require a bin when ordering, they don't charge for the bin

Yes. They had an option to request one at checkout, which I did. But they didn't send it.

Can you not contact them and ask them to send one? I now get one every time despite not requesting it every time!

I don't use any weight loss injections but I do regular subcutaneous injections of another medication- I was provided with a sharps bin by the hospital and I have also since acquired sharps bins from chemists as I need them. You absolutely cannot throw them in the bin, used needles/pens are considered biohazards and not only is it illegal but puts waste disposal workers at risk of contracting blood-borne diseases such as Hep C and HIV.

Once the sharps bin is full you can dispose of it in a few different ways depending on where you are- either a local pharmacy will take them, the hospital will take them, or the council can come and collect them. Never throw needles in the bin and please treat medical waste safely and appropriately.

Pens, yes. Needles, no, and at least two people on this thread have said that they have been putting needles in the household waste, either loose (!!!) or in full sharps bins.

@VelociraptorsVelociRapping Agreed re the needles; my comment was specifically about the pens as numerous posters were saying they can’t go in the household bin.

They should not. Most will have medication left in them . Any medication should not be put in waste . As you have a sharps bin anyway put the pens in the sharps bin if you do not have a recycling box for them so landfill is not contaminated by them .

Pens are perfectly acceptable in normal household waste once the needles have been removed, any remaining liquid is not going to cause any issues and won't come out anyway

The liquid is in glass vial. Put it in landfill with tonnes of other rubbish and what do you think will happen?
you should have a sharps bin anyway. The regulations say sharps bins in a domestic setting should be emptied no longer than three months , so put the pens in there for safe disposal.

I have got a sharps bin and I put all needles in there, the pen is fine in household waste as per the medication leaflet and my doctor's advice.