Medical sharps

If you find a used syringe on public land, please report it immediately.

Medical sharps include syringes, needles and lancets (from finger-pricking devices) used by residents to manage various medical conditions such as diabetes.

You should not put used needles or other sharps:

• in your household waste, recycling bin or any other general rubbish bin
• in a container, such as a drinks can or bottle.

Used medical sharps can cause injuries and may carry blood-borne viruses that can be passed on to other people.

Residents using medical sharps at home should place them into a sealed sharps box, obtained from a GP or pharmacy, which may be returned to a GP’s surgery once full for safe disposal. If you are unable to transport your sharps box to a surgery, you can arrange a collection from us.

Arrange a medical sharps collection

Illegal drug-related sharps should be taken to a pharmacy offering a needle exchange service. A list of needle exchange pharmacies can be found on the Public Health Dorset website.