Disposal of Expired Medicines, Empty Medicine Bottles and Used Syringes and Needles

To fulfill health and safety requirements the following recommendations are made:

Needles

• All needles and scalpel blades must be disposed of in a sharps bin, which should be stored in the medicine storage area.
• Once full, the sharps bin can be returned to the practice. However, the sharps bin must be sealed with the name of the farm clearly labeled on the side.
• No plastics (including syringes) or glass should be placed in the sharps bin.

Syringes

• All used syringes must be disposed of by placing in a plastic bag hung in the medicine storage area. The bag should be clearly labeled "Used syringes only".
• Used or expired plastic medicine bottles can be disposed of through the "Used syringe bag".
• Do not place needles or glass in the "used syringe bag".
• The bag of used syringes can be disposed of through the practice.
• The plastic syringe cases can be disposed through the routine refuse collection service.

Medicine Bottles

• All used and expired glass medicine bottles should be disposed of by placing in a separate bag labeled "Medicine bottles".
• Do not place needles or syringes in the "Medicine bottles" bag.
• Bottles of prostaglandin (Planate?, Lutalyse? or Estrumate?) must be returned to the practice separately not through the routine glass disposal system.
• Once half-full the medicine bottle bag can be disposed of through the practice.