July 28, 2015 Part 2: Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse Last updated on May 6, 2019 In our last blog post, we explored how prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in the United States. This week we will discuss how to prevent prescription drug abuse and what to do with any unused medications. Many opioid abusers get the prescription drugs from friends or relatives for free, according to a study by JAMA Internal Medicine. Other sources include getting a prescription from one or more doctors, stealing or buying prescription drugs from friends or family and buying prescription drugs from drug dealers.1 It’s important to store your medicines safely around your house in order to prevent drug abuse. Below are some tips for protecting your friends and family, courtesy of the Alliance for Balanced Pain Management: Note how many pills are in each bottle, pay attention to your refills and follow instructions regarding the correct doses. Only take your medications, no one else’s. Store your medicines in a safe place that only you know about. Keep them out of sight and out of reach. Discuss with your family and friends everything you’ve learned about storing and discarding medicines.2 Another important step in preventing prescription drug abuse is to dispose of your unused medicines properly. Many communities host drug take back events, in which you can drop off any unused medications. Check with your city government to see if such an event is available. You may also mix pills with cat litter or coffee grounds to make them undesirable. Then put the mixture in a disposable container with a lid or sealable bag and throw it in the trash.3 Some pharmacies have collection receptacles (e.g., MedSafe) in which you can dispose of controlled and non-controlled medications. Also you may purchase mailback envelopes. You may put any unused medications in these preaddressed, prepaid envelopes and drop them at your nearest mailbox or post office. Sharps Compliance offers a version called the TakeAway Medication Recovery System Envelope. With prescription drug abuse on the rise, it’s imperative that you do everything you can to safely store and dispose of any unused medications. 1 Sources of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers by Frequency of Past-Year Nonmedical Use 2 Are You the Only One Taking Your Medicine? 3 How to Dispose of Medicines Properly Read More
May 26, 2015 COVID-19 Medical Waste: Helpful Tips Last updated on September 29, 2021 This is an update of the article originally published on March 19, 2020. Regulations change frequently. That’s why Sharps Compliance monitors updates and communicates any changes to its customers. In these uncertain times, many of our current and prospective customers look to us, their regulated medical waste (RMW) management experts, for guidance in the proper handling of waste generated from confirmed and suspected COVID-19 cases, and rightfully so. As a courtesy to anyone seeking out such guidance, we have created a list of recommendations for waste management in some of the industries most impacted by coronavirus. All guidance listed below reflects the most up-to-date recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and industry leaders, as of April 10, 2020. And though the general recommendation is to treat COVID-19 RMW the same as any other infectious waste, there are some specific tips below that may prove useful to your home or practice. Healthcare, general: CDC’s Guidelines for Caring for Patients: Management of medical waste should be performed in accordance with routine procedures. CDC’s Infection Control Recommendations: Facilities should provide tissues and no-touch receptacles for disposal, at healthcare facility entrances, waiting rooms, and patient check-ins. Healthcare professionals must receive training on and demonstrate an understanding of how to properly dispose of or disinfect and maintain PPE. CDC’s guidance states that management of laundry, food service utensils, and medical waste should be performed in accordance with routine procedures. Discard disposable PPE after exiting patient’s room or care area and closing the door unless implementing extended use or reuse. From OSHA’s “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19”: N95 respirator training should address proper disposal. Workers who dispose of PPE and other infectious waste must also be trained and provided with appropriate PPE. Per the American Association of Bronchology & Interventional Pulmonology: Disposable bronchoscopes should be used first line when available. Follow CDC instructions for proper donning and doffing of all protective equipment and disposable devices. This information is based on the latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and expert consensus of the AABIP COVID-19 Task Force. Family Medicine Clinics: American Academy of Family Physicians’ Checklist to Prepare Physician Offices for COVID-19: No-touch containers with disposable liners should be placed in all reception, waiting, patient care, and restroom areas used to dispose of waste materials with respiratory secretions. Arrange to use the currently recommended routine procedures/methods/protocols for the disposal of dangerous/medical waste. Nursing Homes: Nursing Homes are guided to put a trash can near the exit inside the resident room to make it easy for staff to discard PPE prior to exiting the room, or before providing care for another resident in the same room. Laboratories (diagnostic): For SARS-CoV-2 laboratory waste, follow standard procedures associated with other respiratory pathogens, such as seasonal influenza and other human coronaviruses. Handle laboratory waste from testing suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patient specimens as all other biohazardous waste in the laboratory. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that this laboratory waste needs additional packaging or disinfection procedures. Refer to the CDC’s Biosafety in Microbiological & Biomedical Laboratories, revised in June 2020, for more info. Biohazardous waste containers should be leakproof and closed prior to removal from the laboratory for decontamination. If there is no autoclave onsite, then pack waste in accordance with institutional policy and procedures. CDC has also issued lengthy Waste Disposal Recommendations for Postmortem Specimens from Deceased Persons Under Investigation for COVID-19. Dialysis Centers: CDC’s Interim Additional Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities: Provide patients and healthcare professionals with instructions (in appropriate languages) on how to dispose of tissues and contaminated items in waste receptacles. Facilities should position no-touch disposal receptacles close to dialysis chairs and nursing stations. Disposable gowns should be discarded in a dedicated container after use. Community Facilities: CDC’s Interim Cleaning & Disinfecting Community Settings for U.S. Community Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 states “Employers must comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR 1910.1030), including proper disposal of regulated waste, and PPE (29 CFR 1910.132).” Airlines: If no symptomatic passengers were identified during or immediately after the flight, follow routine operating procedures for cleaning aircraft, managing solid waste, and wearing PPE. If ill travelers were identified during flight, treat all body fluids (such as respiratory secretions, diarrhea, vomit, or blood) as infectious. Properly dispose of gloves and other disposable items that came in contact with the sick person or body fluids in a biohazard bag or a secured plastic bag labeled as “biohazard.” General recommendations during the enhanced cleaning process include following the airline’s routine procedures for disposal of PPE and other disposable items used in cleaning. Note that all waste from international flights will also fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Ships: PPE should be removed and placed with other disposable items in sturdy, leak-proof (plastic) bags that are tied shut and not reopened. The bags of used PPE and disposable items can then be placed into the solid waste stream according to routine procedures. Follow your standard operating procedures for waste removal and treatment. Dental Settings: Disposable respirators should be removed and discarded after exiting the patient’s room or care area. Disposable eye protection should be discarded after use. Remove and discard soiled gowns in a dedicated container for waste or linen before leaving the patient room or care area. Law Enforcement: If close contact occurs during apprehension, follow standard operating procedures for the containment and disposal of used PPE. Schools, Workplaces & Community Locations: If someone is sick, wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash. Employer considerations: Educate workers performing cleaning, laundry, and trash pickup to recognize the symptoms of COVID-19. Provide training on how to properly dispose of PPE to all cleaning staff on site prior to providing cleaning tasks. Comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR 1910.1030), including proper disposal of regulated waste, and PPE (29 CFR 1910.132). Transit Industry: Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for use by employees. Homes & Residential Communities: Place all used disposable gloves, face masks, and other contaminated items in a lined container before disposing of them with other household waste. Clean your hands (with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) immediately after handling these Throw used tissues in the trash. If possible, dedicate a lined trash can for a sick person. Use gloves when removing garbage bags and handling and disposing of trash. Consider consulting with your local health department about trash disposal guidance if available. Airlines: Provide tissues and no-touch disposal receptacles for employees to use. Alternate Care Sites: Non-traditional environments (converted hotels, mobile field medical units etc.) established by jurisdictions to deliver hospital-level, acute and non-acute care should implement the following infection prevention and control considerations to supplement existing pandemic planning efforts: Infrastructure to ensure dirty storage space for medical and non-medical waste and dirty equipment waiting to be reprocessed Sanitation and waste servicing for routine waste and medical waste (if required); refer to local regulations for handling of medical waste Daily removal of trash from individual patient rooms (e.g., hotel) plus environmental services staff perform terminal cleaning of rooms and patients ideally perform daily cleaning Please refer to the EPA’s full listing of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Additionally, since states govern regulated medical waste, please be sure to check with your state’s regulatory agency(s) to see if they have any additional guidance, requirements, or tips for handling waste specific to your state. Lastly, please contact Sharps Compliance at 800.772.5657 if you have any questions. Is your medical office ready? Review our article on preparing your medical office for COVID-19 Coronavirus. Read More
January 30, 2015 Managing Pet Diabetes Last updated on January 16, 2019 So the vet just diagnosed your pet with diabetes mellitus, which means that your pet isn’t producing enough insulin which is required for the body to efficiently use sugars, fats, and proteins. Diabetes mellitus is most often diagnosed in older dogs, primarily female dogs and older cats, most often male cats. Younger animals can also be afflicted. Can diabetes in animals be managed? For most animals, diabetes is managed long term by the injection of insulin once or twice a day by the owner or caretaker. While some diabetic cats can be treated with oral medications instead of injections, oral medications are rarely effective in dogs. According to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, there are three general types of insulin used in dogs and cats: short- acting insulin (regular or crystalline) is used in sick diabetic animals until they are eating again NPH and Lente are intermediate- acting insulins Ultralente and PZI are long- acting insulins Once the type of insulin is decided, the vet will show the caretaker how to give the pet his/her injection. Most likely, the vet will review how to handle the insulin itself, paying attention to temperature, expiration date, etc. The vet will demonstrate how to use a syringe, how to draw up the insulin in the correct amount as well as how to properly administer the injection. After the injection is given, what should be done with the used needle and syringe? While this part of the conversation between the vet and the caretaker can be very brief or not even discussed, it’s important that the needle and syringe – often referred to as the “sharps” – be placed into a compliant sharps container. The sharps container is designed to hold used sharps in a safe manner until the container is full and ready to be disposed of. Accidental needlesticks occur frequently in the home because needles are left in common areas, such as the trash, countertops, or even the floor, and people – and their pets – inadvertently get stuck. Once the sharps container is full, contact the vet to determine if he/she can take them or can offer a more viable solution. Several states have passed legislation making it illegal to throw sharps into household trash so be sure to work with the vet to determine the safest method of disposal that meets all state requirements. Source: Pet Health Topics. (n.d.) Read More
October 14, 2014 Is It the Flu? Last updated on February 8, 2018 Flu? Ebola? Enterovirus 68? The fall of 2014 is presenting unique challenges to Americans everywhere as people try to determine if they have a cold, the flu, or even the first symptoms of Ebola. Scheduling time to discuss this with a health_x007f_care professional will help to determine what exactly a person is at risk for, what prevention methods are recommended, diagnosis of the disease based on symptoms, what treatment to use, and even development of a plan to keep you, friends, and family healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months of age and older get an annual flu shot1. People at high-risk, such as those with heart conditions, diabetes, and asthma, as well as pregnant women and people over the age of 65 need to get their annual flu shot to potentially avoid getting seriously ill from complications of influenza. For more information on the flu vaccine, click here. Symptoms of influenza can include, but are not limited to, fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, vomiting (mostly in children), and headaches. This fall, people may be confused about what they actually have because, with Ebola in every headline, the symptoms are so similar to symptoms of influenza: fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. When adding Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) into the mix, the confusion deepens since the symptoms of this virus are like flu and Ebola to some extent: fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough, and body and muscle aches. Flu can be spread through the air and also through touching surfaces that house the influenza virus. Like influenza, EV-D68 is also spread through the air so prevention is key for both. While getting a flu shot each year is the best prevention against having the flu according to the CDC2, there are other things that can be done to lessen both flu and EV-D68, such as staying away from sick people, staying home if sick, and washing hands often with soap and water. Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick should not be shared without washing thoroughly first. Frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected at home, work, and school, especially if someone is ill. Transmission of the Ebola virus is very different from both influenza and EV-D68. However, in addition to having similar initial symptoms, some prevention methods are very similar in that people should wash their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. So what is a person to do? Talk with your healthcare professional! See your doctor, pharmacist, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or other healthcare professionals for the facts. Flu shots are offered at many retail pharmacies and retail clinics as well as through your physician. For a quick reference, take the vaccine quiz by clicking here to see what vaccines are necessary to keep you, friends, and family healthier each fall and year round. Resources 1 Key Facts about Influenza (Flu) & Flu Vaccine. (2014, September 9). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2 What You Should Know for the 2014-2015 Influenza Season Read More
