SAFE SHARPS PROGRAM

Note: The Safe Sharps program does not include used sharps from any commercial enterprises including medical, dental or veterinary clinics, home care professionals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, or farms. To properly dispose of these types of sharps, please contact your respective professional association. 

Please follow these steps to safely dispose of syringes, needles, and lancets:

1. Pick up a free Safe Sharps container at your community pharmacy.

2. Place your used syringes, needles, and lancets into the Safe Sharps container.

3. When the container is almost full, seal the lid.

4. Return the sealed container to your community pharmacy

 For your safety and the safety of others: Sharps should only be placed in a Safe Sharps Container.

Used sharps must be handled properly.

• DO NOT put needles, syringes or lancets in plastic bottles or jugs.
• DO NOT put needles, syringes or lancets in garbage or recycling bags.
• DO NOT flush needles, syringes or lancets down the toilet.
• DO NOT burn needles, syringes or lancets.

Intravenous Drug Use

Sharps generated by intravenous drug use should be returned to a needle exchange program including: 

Mainline Needle Exchange
5511 Cornwallis St, Halifax
(902) 423-9991 or Toll-free:(877) 904-4555

Sharp Advice Needle Exchange (S.A.N.E)
150 Bentinck St, Sydney
(902) 539-5556

Northern Healthy Connections Society
33 Pleasant Street, Truro
(902) 895-0931

MEDICATION DISPOSAL PROGRAM 

NEVER flush or throw out your medications!

Nova Scotia has a province-wide program for the disposal of household pharmaceutical waste called The Medication Disposal Program. This program allows patients to return ANY medications they no longer need or “dead drugs” to their local community pharmacies for safe disposal at absolutely no cost! Nova Scotia’s Medication Disposal Program is administrated by the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia and disposal costs are paid for by pharmaceutical companies. Simply empty expired/left-over medications into a bag (plastic or otherwise!) and return to your local pharmacy for destruction. 

Items Not Accepted for Destruction:

• Empty medication vials/boxes*
• Medication packaging*
• Sharps, needles or syringes
• Cosmetics

* These items can be disgarded with regular household waste - please black-out any personal informaton before doing so*

Note: This program is NOT for any commercial enterprises, including: doctors' offices, vet clinics, shopping malls, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, workplaces, etc.