Sharps disposal: New business opportunity for pharmacy

As more states are passing laws that prohibit the disposal of sharps (syringes, needles, lancets, etc.) in household garbage, patients who have to inject themselves regularly, such as many diabetics, need a way to get rid of their medical waste. Enter the Medical Waste Machine from Medical Innovations, Framingham, Mass. Available to pharmacies at $1,897 per unit, the machine allows pharmacists to accept disposable sharps from consumers and convert them into compact waste that can be then thrown in the trash bin. According to company president David Freedman, this service ensures pharmacists of repeat business from patients, who must bring in their filled sharps container and get an empty one, and is much more cost-effective than having the waste hauled away.

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