Epi-pen disposal
Maybe not the right place to ask - I just got my new epi pens. Where are people disposing their expired ones.
Last time I tried to bring them to Duane reade (pharmacy) and they informed me they no longer dispose of them. So I ended up taking them to the hospital, and they also informed me they don’t take them any more. They did end up accepting, and disposing them for me that time.
I don’t want a bunch of expired epi pens in my house and I can’t trash them.
Look up what the used needle disposal rules are in your state and if it says throw them in the regular trash then sneak them into the sharps container when you’re waiting for the doctor at your next appointment.
Never thought of dumping them at my doctors office. Will try that. Thanks
Some cvs locations have a drop box for expired medication and EpiPens could go in that box too
They said they could take expired medications but not the EpiPen because it’s a sharp
Hm weird mine took them cuz it was in the container. It’s not like a loose needle. I’d call around other pharmacies in your area.
OP, even if EpiPens have expired, please don’t dispose of them yet.
Research has shown that as long as the liquid is clear and without sediment, epinephrine lasts a long time past the expiry date.
A study on 46 epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs) of the brands EpiPen, AuviQ, Adrenaclick generic and generic EpiPen and found:
• 6 months after expiry, all EAIs contained 100% of their epinephrine
• 1 year after expiry, the EAIs retained at least 95% (some were still at 100%.)
• 30 months after expiry, all the EAIs retained at least 90% of the epinephrine.
Other research found similar results: EAIs retained epinephrine up to 90% up to 24 months past expiry.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333422943_Epinephrine_drug_degradation_in_autoinjector_products
The FDA considers an EAI to be expired when levels of epinephrine fall below 90%.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-epi-pen-expiration
Even when getting new ones, it’s worth keeping the old ones as a backup. (Just maybe mark it in some way, so you can tell at a glance which are the expired ones.)
I take mine to my allergist’s office. So far, so good on acceptance.
Locally I take mine to CVS or Walgreens. You can also Google "sharps disposal near me"
I don’t think it’s updated/recent, because my Duane reade was listed.
Is there an airport or truck stop near you? Those often have sharps disposals in their restrooms.
Put them in a Tide detergent container . Seal really well with lots of duct tape. Place in the trash.
My husband and I practiced using the expired ones on apples or potatoes, then threw them away
My sister and niece both have EpiPens and when they replace them, they give the old ones to my niece's dad who has a farm because they use them for baby goats who are born not thriving to kind of pep them up. I'm not sure exactly when this is used or why or if it's even a real thing, but they have been giving them to him for years.
My husband and I practiced using the expired ones on apples or potatoes, then threw them away
Why can’t you put them in the trash?
Because they have a needle. You're not supposed to put needles in the trash. If a sanitation worker gets stuck with one, a) in this case they could get an unnecessary dose of epinephrine which is NOT fun and b) they have to get a full range of tests because it's a needle with an unknown history and could potentially contain any number of pathogens. We know that this particular needle doesn't, but they wouldn't.
Thank you. I don’t have any needles so I didn’t know this.
I take them to Shoppers. I’m in Canada.
We take them to the Chemist, along with any other expired meds that end up lurking in our cupboard.
I'm in the UK, no pharmacies will take any sharps, they have to go to some hazardous waste facility.
It sucks. (Paramedics always take mine when used but I just have the old ones piling up in a corner--away from the newer ones, of course).
Sharps containers (in my area you find them in a lot of public restrooms) but throw a few in your disaster kit. They are often usable well past the expiration date as long as the liquid isn't cloudy. If you are in a disaster situation they are usable.
Idk I just have like 30 of them sitting around my medicine cabinet 😭
In my state, you can make your own sharps disposal box out of a heavy plastic box, taped shut, labeled sharps, and dispose of it in the regular garbage. This will vary by state. In which case the epi thick, clear plastic case (if it’s one of the ones that comes in the thick case) should work as the container. Tape shut and label.
Some places do have sharps disposals in their restrooms. I’ve seen it at pharmacies, airports, etc.
My local ER’s have sharps disposals. I’d assume your local PCP’s office does as well, most do.
Look up local sharps medical disposal