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Diabetes mellitus Disposal of sharps in the community

All sharps will be disposed of safely minimising the risk of needle stick injury to patients, health professionals and other members of the public

Sharps 

Anything that can puncture the skin could be classified as a sharp. In this policy the following items are included in the term.

• Insulin syringes with attached needles 
• Needles for use with pen devices 
• Lancets for use in home blood testing

Responsibility 

It is the responsibility of the patient or carer to safely dispose of all sharp items. All staff involved in the education of patients with diabetes have a responsibility to ensure sharps disposal education is provided and that patients/carers are clear how to dispose of sharps.

Methods of sharp disposal 

Where community nurses provide insulin injections or do blood glucose testing, universal precautions must be followed. These are:

• Do not re-sheath needles 
• Use an approved sharps disposal box 
• Seal and change the box when it is no more than 2/3 full 
• Dispose of used lancets in the sharps box

Sharps Box 

Specialist groups of Patients may be provided with a sharps box by primary care or their diabetes clinic i.e.:

• those patients requiring community nurse supervision. 
• children 
• those who are registered blind or have poor physical ability and dexterity

Needle clipping device 

Patients may also be provided with a needle-clipping device in place of a sharp box if they are able bodied and able to use one appropriately.

Needle clipping devices are available on FP10 prescription from primary care.

Disposal of clipped syringes and pen needle hubs 

These should be disposed of in a household container e.g. a plastic bottle with a secure lid. The container can then be put safely in the household waste when half full.

Lancets 

Lancets used for blood glucose monitoring can not be clipped with the device and so lancets should be disposed of in a plastic bottle with a secure lid and the bottle put in the household waste when half full.

Source: Northumbria NHS Health Care Trust diabetes protocol

Brad Cheek: 21 May, 2011