Container for used needles can be bought or constructed

Question: Why don’t they accept needles at those prescription drug takebacks, and what am I supposed to do with them? I am talking about needles I use at home for my diabetes, not a lot of medical waste from a hospital or anything like that.

Answer: Medical “sharps,” such as insulin syringes and blood-testing lancets, are not accepted because they are considered hazardous material, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Accidental needle sticks would pose a health risk (including the potential transmission of infectious diseases) to staff members who handle the material dropped off in collection bins, the agency states.

Only solid forms of prescription medications, such as pills, capsules and patches, are accepted at DEA-sponsored disposal events such as the one held Saturday at drop-off sites throughout the state. Liquids and aerosols, including asthma inhalers, also were turned away.

As for how to safely dispose of your needles and other sharps: You may ask your doctor about obtaining a sharps container; and you can purchase one at a store such as Longs/CVS, Walgreens or Walmart (all have them available online), or make your own (see directions below). Once filled and closed securely, the container can be placed in the regular trash, according to the city.

For the do-it-yourselfer: Place sharps in a puncture-proof plastic container with a screw-on lid, such as a rigid laundry detergent bottle.

Once filled, screw on the lid and duct-tape it to ensure it stays closed; clearly label the bottle and place it in the regular trash (not the recycling bin).

The sharps will be processed at Oahu’s HPOWER plant, and any metal will be extracted and recycled, said Markus Owens, spokesman for the city’s Department of Environmental Services.

The department’s website, www.opala.org, explains how to properly dispose of many different types of waste but doesn’t mention home-care needles; Owens said the refuse division would add the information to the website.

Medicare workshop

It’s open enrollment season for Medicare, and the Waikiki Community Center is hosting a free seminar to help people review their options in the federal medical insurance program for people 65 and older. The event will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the center at 310 Paoakalani Ave.

Charles Nagatoshi, senior analyst for State of Hawaii Insurance Programs (SHIP), will give an overview of the Medicare program and discuss changes for 2017, according to a news release. Representatives from AARP, HMSA, Humana, United HealthCare and the Waikiki Community Center’s senior assistance program also will be on hand.

Admission is free. For more information, call 923-1802.

Medicare’s open enrollment period began Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7.

Q: I am elderly and unable to physically get to the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus to attend the “Nite of the Living Will” or to pick up the free handbook, generously offered by UHELP. If not available for pickup elsewhere on the island, would UHELP be able to kokua and send it, charging for the cost of mailing and handling?

A: Yes. The cost of postage and handling is $5. Make a out check to University of Hawaii and mail it to the UH Elder Law Program (UHELP) at 2515 Dole St., Honolulu, HI 96822. Be sure to include your name and return address, and note that you would like a copy of the handbook mailed to you.

If you have any questions, you can call UHELP at 956-6544 or email uhelp.edu@gmail.com.

The free legal guide, “Deciding What’s Next and Trying to Remember,” aims to help older people, their families and caregivers understand and plan for end-of-life issues before a health crisis erupts.

It’s being offered in conjunction with the “Nite of the Living Will” workshop scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the library of the UH law school. For more information about this free event, see the Oct. 21 Kokua Line column at 808ne.ws/elderevent.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.