Health Minister Chester Gillan today announced the new Don’t Get Stuck program for the safe disposal of needles and sharps for households on PEI. New safe needle disposal containers will be available free of charge to all Island residents for syringes, needles, lancets and EpiPens and can be picked up at any PEI pharmacy, the AIDS PEI office, the Diabetes Association, or a Diabetes Education Centre.
“This program will greatly reduce the chances of injury and the spread of infectious diseases due to an accident involving a sharp,” said Health Minister Chester Gillan. “Islanders will also be pleased that containers and sharps will be incinerated and not taken to a land fill site.”
Island residents can return full safe needle containers to local pharmacies for proper disposal, in exchange for a new container. Island Waste Management will safely transport all full containers for incineration on PEI, a process which has been approved to meet the regulations of the Department of Environment, Energy & Forestry.
“This initiative has been made possible because of the true collaborative spirit of all partners involved in this program,” noted Minister Gillan.
Partners in the Don’t Get Stuck program include: PEI Pharmaceutical Association, Canadian Diabetes Association, AIDS PEI, Island Waste Management Corporation, McKesson Canada, the PEI Department of Environment, Energy & Forestry and the PEI Department of Health.
BACKGROUNDER
SAFE NEEDLE DISPOSAL PROGRAM
The new Don’t Get Stuck program is designed for the safe disposal of needles and sharps for households on PEI. New safe needle disposal containers will be available free of charge to all Islanders for syringes, needles, lancets and EpiPens and can be picked up at any PEI pharmacy, the AIDS PEI office, the Diabetes Association, or a Diabetes Education Centre.
This initiative has been made possible because of the true collaborative spirit of all partners involved in this program. Partners in the Don’t Get Stuck program include: PEI Pharmaceutical Association, Canadian Diabetes Association, AIDS PEI, Island Waste Management Corporation, McKesson Canada, the PEI Department of Environment, Energy & Forestry and the PEI Department of Health.
PEI Pharmaceutical Association has arranged for all pharmacies in PEI to act as pick- up and drop-off locations for the new safe needle disposal containers. The pharmacies will also deliver the full containers to Island Waste Management Corportation’s Waste Watch Drop-Off Centers household hazardous waste depots.
AIDS PEI and the Diabetes Association will serve as pick-up locations for the new safe needle disposal containers. Both organizations will also act as key resources in providing public education on the new Don’t Get Stuck program.
Island Waste Management Corporation will receive full containers from pharmacies and safely transport all full containers for incineration on PEI.
McKesson Canada will deliver the new containers free of charge as part of their pharmaceutical supply deliveries to Island pharmacies.
The Department of Health provided funding for the new safe needle disposal containers. The department’s Diabetes Education Centres will also serve as pick-up locations for the new containers.
PEI Department of Environment, Energy & Forestry provides technical assistance and administers federal and provincial regulations that govern the disposal of bio-hazardous waste.