Oklahoma State University: Medical Sharps Collection Program Underway

Press release from Oklahoma State University:

2022-01-05

Media Contact:
Trisha Gedon | Communications Specialist | 405-744-3625 | trisha.gedon@okstate.edu

Aimed at helping to protect public health and the environment, the Oklahoma Medical
Sharps Collection Program is now available in several locations across Oklahoma.

Launched in December 2021, this six-month pilot program will increase the infrastructure
for safe collection and disposal of used medical sharps such as pen needles, syringes
and lancets, said Keima Borsuah, Oklahoma State University Extension assistant state specialist with the Solid Waste Management Program.

“This program is vital to our programming in the Solid Waste Management Program because
it demonstrates proper waste disposal,” Borsuah said. “It’s estimated more than 108,000
Oklahomans use sharps to manage medical conditions like diabetes, which generates
more than 20 million needles per year. Most are simply thrown in the trash or flushed.”

When improperly disposed of, these sharps pose a safety hazard to sanitation workers,
sewage treatment plant operators and waste management personnel, as well as the environment.

The collection initiative is part of a pilot program developed and implemented by
the Product Stewardship Institute and the Oklahoma Meds and Sharps Disposal Committee
with grant support from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

Participating locations in Oklahoma include:

Convenience Collection Center807 S. Perkins RoadHours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., SaturdayContact: Chris Knight, 405-533-8424

Stop Harm on Tulsa Streets (SHOTS) at the HOPE Testing Clinic3540 E 31st St. #3Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-ThursdayContacts: Jennifer Sharp, 918-640-6896; Alexa Bottoms, 214-995-1925

Oklahoma Harm Reduction Alliance (OKHRA)Church of the Good Shepherd, 1420 E. Dewey Ave., SapulpaTrinity Episcopal Church, 501 S. Cincinnati Ave., Tulsa3rd Saturday of each month, January to June 2022Contact: Andrea Haddox, 539-302-7213

Cherokee County Health Services Council 135 N. Muskogee Ave. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-FridayContact: Marcus Buchanan, 918-506-4058

Indian Health Service (IHS) Pharmacy (mail-back only)1201 Heritage Circle, Pawnee, OK 74058 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-FridayContact: Kaileen Skidgel, 918-762-6555

“We know safe collection sites are needed and this pilot program will help us demonstrate
how they can be efficiently operated,” Borsuah said.

More information on the pilot program is available online or by contacting Borsuah at 405-744-9827.

This press release was produced by Oklahoma State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.