Used injection pens: what do you do?

Just_Jilly_K

Just_Jilly_K

Active member
With the state closing its free needle disposal setup, I'm wondering, what do you all do with your used pens and needles? I know some people just toss them, some keep them in a box, and some don't know about the right way to get rid of them.

I'm curious how people are actually handling this. Do you use a drop box? A mail-back thing? Or just... the regular garbage?

I'm trying to see if there's a better way to take care of this for folks. But first, I want to know what people are really doing.
 
I get my sharps container from the manufacturer. Free of charge. https://www.novocare.com/diabetes/resources/safe-disposal.html

If you are in the USA, fill out the form on the bottom of this page. They will send you a free sharps container with return shipping included for proper disposal when it is full.

You could see if your area lets you use a heavy duty plastic jug that's clearly marked. Some places let you throw it out with your regular garbage if you do that.
 
Yeah, the company I use will send you a free sharps container with a box to mail it back when it's filled up. I'm using that.
 
I'm not sure about the US, but in Canada, pharmacies give away sharps containers. Once you've filled them, you can just bring them back to the pharmacy for disposal.
 
My pharmacy sells sharps containers for like, five bucks. I've been using mine for a year and barely filled it.

PLEASE don't just throw needles in the trash. It can really hurt the trash workers if they get stuck, and it's scary because you don't know what the needle was used for. It's actually against the law to put loose needles in the trash where I am.
 
I put the sharps in empty, strong pill bottles that have childproof caps. Label them 'SHARPS' and then toss them in the trash.
 
I keep them in a sharps container. If you don't have one of those, even a plastic container works, then I take it to my pharmacy for disposal.
 
This newbie guide for tracking is fantastic. Shout-out to whoever wrote it—wish it could be pinned because it sets expectations right and walks you through the whole process.
 
I've heard of some changes to injection sites affecting how well the meds work. Has anyone tried that? I'm thinking of trying a new spot myself. I know with insulin it makes a difference - abdomen is fastest, thighs & butt are slowest.
 
DocInTheBox said:
I've heard of some changes to injection sites affecting how well the meds work. Has anyone tried that?
Click to expand...

I saw a post about that! Someone said they plateaued, then switched spots and started losing again. Might be worth a shot!
 
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