Effective July 2012, Massachusetts placed a ban on the disposal of sharps in regular household garbage. Inappropriate disposal of these sharps (syringes, lancets, pen needles, etc.) can result in fines and or imprisonment: some serious outcomes for throwing something in the garbage. This ban was initiated in an effort to reduce the accidental "sticks" of municipal workers and residents of the Commonwealth.
The ban poses the question: Well, if we can't throw the sharps away in our garbage that we pay for already, where can we throw them?
The Commonwealth has provided a state-wide list of disposal sites that gets updated periodically. Looking at the list, one would find that Northborough, MA do not have a disposal site registered. Mail take-away programs are a viable option, but the costs can be tremendous. Some physician offices take them, and some charge a nominal fee. Other towns have public health funded disposal programs free of charge for their respective residents. The people most in need of a sharps disposal program are the people with chronic conditions which necessitate their use on a daily basis. Why add to the costs of this?
I suppose that is why in Northborough, Shattuck Pharmacy has established a privately funded free sharps disposal program for Northborough and the surrounding communities.
Check out their website HERE to find out more about it!
They are right in the center of town so it is convenient.
They state that they have created this as a free service to fill the needs of their community and do their part to improve public health. In addition to this, they state that if you wish to show appreciation, they will accept donations, 100% of which will benefit the Northborough Helping Hands Association. This is a great volunteer organization which provides assistance to our neighbors through their Medical Equipment Loan Program, Holiday Outreach Program, and Emergency Fund.
I hope you find this helpful!
~Jeremy
