Contact: Julia Wagner, PSI Marketing and Communications Manager, julia@productstewardship.us; (617)-236-4855
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — Medical sharps, such as needles and syringes, are convenient devices used by millions to safely self-inject medications outside of health-care settings, often to treat conditions like diabetes. More than 100,000 residents in Oklahoma are prescribed self-injecting medications, generating as many as 60 million needles per year. When needles are flushed or trashed, they pose grave health and safety risks to residents, sanitation workers, sewage treatment plant operators, waste management personnel, and hospitality workers.
Medical Sharps Disposal Programs
In 2022, The Choctaw Nation, Indian Health Services, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Perkins Family Clinic, and Covanta Environmental Solutions partnered with the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a policy advocate and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the United States, to expand sharps take-back infrastructure in Oklahoma. Since the program launched, it has achieved the following results:
- Established 10 new sharps disposal sites with permanent collection kiosks;
- Distributed over 1,600 sharps collection containers to clinics to distribute to patients for in-home use; and
- Provided clinics with materials to educate patients on proper medical sharp disposal.
“In addition to the public health and environmental risks, medical sharps that are thrown in the trash can pose a safety hazard to sanitation workers,” said Patrick Riley, environmental programs manager for solid waste and sustainability at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). “We know that safe collection sites are needed, and this program will demonstrate exactly how they can be operated.”
“Being able to offer several safe ways for our patients to dispose of sharps is vital to the public health of our reservation,” says Justin Wilcox, Choctaw Nation pharmacist. “The program enhances the already existing programs so patients have several ways they can protect our community.”
Sharps Disposal Funding Available: Starting October 1, 2023, interested organizations can apply for one of five $2,000 stipends available through generous support from DEQ to fund new and existing medical sharps disposal infrastructure in Oklahoma. More information is available on the OMSDC funding page.
Community Guide
This collection program is informed by PSI’s how-to guide: Establishing Community Medical Sharps Programs: A Guide for Municipalities, Pharmacies, Health Clinics, and Nonprofits in Oklahoma. This guide contains information on the need for safe disposal options, the different types of programs available, criteria for designing a program, cost estimates, vendor information, and best practice recommendations.
This summer, the guide was updated with the following new resources:
- The Health Network Model, which utilizes existing healthcare networks to effectively provide sharps disposal options to communities on a larger scale;
- A case study of the Health Network Model from Choctaw Nation Health Services clinics; and
- New education and program promotion materials.
Safe Disposal Awareness Campaign
The Safe Disposal Awareness campaign, facilitated by the OMSDC, aims to help Oklahoma residents responsibly dispose of their used medical sharps and medications by connecting them with information and resources to find convenient drop-off locations. The campaign promotes an interactive map that residents can use to find a location closest to them, and relevant information such as what items the location accepts, business hours, and contact information. If you would like to participate in the campaign, graphics and example captions are available to use on the pharmaceuticals and medical sharps pages of the OMSDC website.
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Product Stewardship Institute (PSI)
PSI is a policy advocate and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the United States. Since 2000, PSI has helped enact 135 extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws across 18 product categories in 33 states — the bedrock of the circular economy. We work with governments, academia, nonprofits, and business to ensure that products are responsibly managed from design to end of life. PSI has been working for 15 years on pharmaceuticals take-back laws and policies, including developing model drug take-back legislation and leading the national effort to enact the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act in 2010, which made it possible for pharmacies to accept unused drugs.
The Oklahoma Meds & Sharps Disposal Committee (OMSDC)
The OMSDC is a coalition of professionals working on a statewide solution for the safe disposal of medical sharps and leftover pharmaceuticals for Oklahoma residents. Funded by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality with facilitation and technical support from the Product Stewardship Institute, the committee meets periodically to share information and to develop solutions.
The Choctaw Nation
The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States with more than 212,000 tribal members and 12,000-plus associates. This ancient people has an oral tradition dating back over 13,000 years. The first tribe over the Trail of Tears, its historic reservation boundaries are in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, covering 10,923 square miles. The Choctaw Nation’s vision, “Living out the Chahta Spirit of faith, family and culture,” is evident as it continues to focus on providing opportunities for growth and prosperity.
The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma Perkins Family Clinic
The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma is a Federally Recognized Tribe with reservation boundary located in mostly rural jurisdictions of Lincoln, Logan, and Payne Counties within Central Oklahoma and a small portion of Oklahoma County. Perkins Family Clinic (PFC) is the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma’s tribally operated health clinic. PFC’s mission is to improve the quality of life and health of the tribal members and community at large by focusing on the spiritual and physical needs of the individuals, families, and communities providing confidential, efficient, accessible, and consistent health care services. PFC offers primary health care services, dental care, behavioral health, community health, radiology, laboratory, pharmaceutical services, and more within the community.