Dispose of Syringes Safely in Northborough

Needles, syringes and lancets used for household purposes can now be disposed safely, for free, at a Northborough pharmacy.

A post on Shattuck Pharmacy's Facebook page by a follower last year inspired intern Jeremy Spiewak to research the issue and discuss it with pharmacy owner Paul Shattuck.

"She brought up the fact that, 'Where do people dispose of the syringes?' Because Northborough doesn't have anything,'" said Spiewak, a student at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston.

According to Shattuck Pharmacy's website, the state banned disposing of sharps "in regular household trash" in July 2012, and violations are "punishable by a fine or imprisonment."

Spiewak said he checked the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's disposal site list, and found that "there are many more towns in Massachusetts than there are sites."

"And (of) those that do accept, the majority of them are small programs and seem to be funded by the state. They get grants. They're also funded by their towns, so they're small programs (and) they like to limit it to their residents," he said.

"The idea is reduce the number of accidental sticks and the spreading of blood=borne pathogens." 

Absent a local program, some people put their sharps in a special, approved envelope that they must buy and mail to an approved facility, Spiewak and Shattuck said.  

"The issue is there's a cost to that. And by and large, it's not a widespread practice, because people will throw them in the trash instead," Shattuck said.

Shattuck said he's underwriting the new sharps collection program at the pharmacy, on Route 20.

"It's not only in compliance with the state regulations. It's the right thing to do," he said.

"It's my town. I live in this town. I grew up in this town. The town has been good to me. And it is a service that's one avenue that I can give back to my community."

Shattuck said the pharmacy is accepting sharps only under these conditions: they "must be in a puncture-resistant, shatter-proof container which is tightly secured." No loose sharps are allowed. Community members may not bring in loose sharps and then transfer them into a proper container. "They need to do that at home." Containers must be "reasonably filled." And sharps must be for household use only.

Disposal at the pharmacy is free. However, Shattuck is accepting voluntary donations to the Northborough Helping Hands Association, a volunteer-community group that the pharmacy supports.

"They have a medical loan program to town residents," he said.

Proof of Northborough residency is not required, Shattuck said. At the same time, he noted that Marlborough, Westborough and Shrewsbury have programs for their residents. 

Shattuck said he spoke with Northborough Health Agent Jamie Terry before establishing the program.

"It's an issue that she had been discussing with other town officials for some time, and without resolution," he said.