Choctaw Nation PhotoContainment units at the clinics are large and eye-catching.
Safer Sharps Disposal for Choctaw Nation Patients
Published June 28, 2023
DURANT, Okla. – Tribal members and patients across the reservation now have an easy way to dispose of used or unneeded needles or sharps. Red sharps disposal boxes are installed at Choctaw Nation clinics to collect any needles, syringes, connections needles, lancets, infusion sets, epi pens or insulin pens.
In partnership with Indian Health Services, Covanta, and the Product Stewardship Institute, the new grant funded program helps residents drop off or mail in used sharps, protecting people and the environment. More than 100,000 residents in Oklahoma are prescribed self-injecting medications, generating as many as 60 million needles per year.
Patients are provided easy-to-use home disposal containers through any Choctaw Nation pharmacy. These can either be mailed off or brought to the clinic and placed in the red collection bins for proper disposal. Collection bins are in the Choctaw Nation Clinics in Durant, Idabel, McAlester, Poteau and Talihina.
When needles are flushed or trashed, they pose grave health and safety risks to residents, sanitation workers, sewage treatment plant operators, waste management personnel, and hospitality workers. A 2018 survey showed that 53% of materials recovery facilities observed needles in household waste at least weekly; over half reported one or more needle-stick injury in 2016.
“The implementation of a sharps mail-back program in Oklahoma is a big step forward in helping remove this material from households,” said Brad Wright, vice president and general manager of Healthcare Solutions at Covanta. “This grant will ensure that the public will have access to disposal containers which will then be managed and processed in the most sustainable manner possible.”
“Being able to offer several safe ways for our patients to dispose of sharps is vital to the public health of our reservation,” says Justin Wilcox, Choctaw Nation pharmacist. “The program enhances the already existing programs so patients have several ways they can protect our community.”
About The Choctaw Nation
The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States with more than 225,000 tribal members and 12,000-plus associates. This ancient people has an oral tradition dating back over 13,000 years. The first tribe over the Trail of Tears, its historic reservation boundaries are in the southeast corner of Oklahoma, covering 10,923 square miles. The Choctaw Nation’s vision, “Living out the Chahta Spirit of faith, family and culture,” is evident as it continues to focus on providing opportunities for growth and prosperity.
Inquiries
Contact Kristina Humenesky for any media relations needs at [email protected].
About Product Stewardship Institute (PSI)
PSI is a policy advocate and consulting nonprofit that pioneered product stewardship in the United States. Since 2000, PSI has helped enact 130 extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws across 16 product categories in 33 states — the bedrock of the circular economy. We work with governments, academia, nonprofits, and business to ensure that products are responsibly managed from design to end of life. Join us at productstewardship.us.
About Oklahoma Meds and Sharps Disposal Committee (OMSDC)
The OMSDC is a coalition of professionals working on a statewide solution for the safe disposal of medical sharps and leftover pharmaceuticals for Oklahoma residents. Funded by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality with facilitation and technical support from the Product Stewardship Institute, the committee meets periodically to share information and to develop solutions.