Catalina Island Health and Leo’s Catalina Drugstore encourage the public to safely dispose of home-generated used sharps using a free mail-back package.
Sharps is a medical term for devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin. These devices may be used at home, at work, and while traveling to manage the medical conditions of people or their pets. Medical conditions that utilize sharps include allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, infertility, migraines, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, blood clotting disorders, and psoriasis. Some medications come with specific instructions for disposal. If so, be sure to follow those instructions.
Proper disposal of sharps saves lives and protects the environment. Unfortunately, about 43% of Californian’s who use sharps regularly, throw their needles in the trash. Placing sharps in the trash can cause needlestick injuries and spread infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis.
There are programs that can make it easy and safe to dispose of sharps such as hypodermic, pen, and intravenous needles, lancets and other devices used to penetrate skin. For safety reasons, CIH does not take any used sharps from the public. It recommends requesting free mail-back packages for safe disposal from SharpsTakeBackCalifornia.org or by calling 844-482-5322.
The mail-back packages are free upon request. It comes pre-paid and pre-addressed. Instructions and a list of what is allowed for disposal are included.
The process is easy:
- Request a mail-back sharps waste package. (Typically arrives within a week.)
- Put sharps in container and seal it when full.
- Place filled sharps container in ship-back box included in original shipment.
- Drop packaged container in any USPS outgoing mail with pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label.
Leo’s has a limited number of mail-back packages upon request at the pharmacy counter as well.
About Catalina Island Health
CI Health’s primary care physicians and family nurse practitioners provide the island community with a solid foundation of care.
The medical clinic is located at 100 Falls Canyon Road, Avalon, CA, up the street from Avalon’s City Hall on the bottom level of the hospital. Its hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org or call 310-510-0096 for more information or to make an appointment. The emergency room is staffed 24/7 with a UC Irvine Emergency Medicine Physician and supported by the CI Health’s laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments to meet the acute medical needs of Catalina Island’s residents and visitors. With the use of patient satisfaction surveys, patients consistently rank CI Health’s emergency services as one of the best in the nation. The hospital’s main number is 310-510-0700. For more information, visit CatalinaIslandHealth.org.
About Leo’s Catalina Drugstore
Leo’s Catalina Drugstore has proudly served Catalina Island since 1959. As the island’s only pharmacy, Leo’s has highly trained pharmacy staff who provide patients with personalized and professional care. It’s gift shop offers a wide variety of sundries, toys and games, personal care items, gifts, souvenirs, and more.
