Learn about patient safety at our Specialty Pharmacy.
Adverse drug reactions
Patients who have adverse drug reactions, acute medical symptoms, or other problems should contact their primary care provider (PCP), local emergency room, or 911.
Medication disposal
Almost all medicines can be disposed of easily and safely. Our Pharmacy at the D-H Pharmacy at Centerra has on-site collection boxes for you to throw away your old medications.
If a take-back or mail-back program is not readily available to you, most other unused or expired medicines can be disposed of in your household trash. First, mix the medicines (do not crush the tablets or capsules) with substances such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds. This is to stop people from going through them. Then place the mixture in a container such as a zip-top or resealable plastic bag, and throw the container away in your household trash. Before throwing out your empty pill bottle or other empty medicine packaging, remember to scratch out all personal information on the prescription label.
How to throw away home-generated biomedical waste
Biomedical waste includes any item used to inject or draw blood. Take special care with the disposal of these items to protect you and others from injury. This will also keep the environment clean and safe. If your therapy involves the use of needles, a sharps container of the right size will be provided. Please follow the simple rules outlined below. This will ensure your safety during your therapy.
Sharps
After injecting your medication, place all needles, syringes, lancets, and other sharp objects into a sharps container. If a sharps container is not available, you can use a hard plastic or metal container with a screw-on top or other tight secure lid. Items such as an empty hard can or liquid detergent container could be used. Before discarding, reinforce the top with heavy-duty tape. Do not use clear plastic or glass containers. Containers should be no more than 3⁄4 full to reduce the risk of accidental needle "sticks".
After you inject, throw away all needles, lancets, and other sharp objects into a sharps container.
Disposal
Check with your local waste collection service to learn about how to dispose of sharps containers in your area. You can ask your prescriber's office about disposing of items there during your next office visit.
Needle-stick safety
- Never replace the cap on needles.
- Throw away used needles immediately after use in a sharps disposal container.
- Plan for the safe handling and disposal of needles before using them.
- Report all needle stick injuries promptly to your physician.
If your therapy does not use needles or sharp items, you do not need a sharps container. You should place all other used supplies in a bag you can't see through. Put this bag inside a second bag, and put this in your garbage with your other trash. These include items such as syringes or tubing.
Hand-washing instructions
Infections can cause serious complications to your treatment. The best way to reduce your risk for an infection is to wash your hands often. Remember to always wash your hands before and after you handle any medication.
Follow the five steps below to wash your hands the right way every time
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
If no water supply is available, use an alcohol-based antibacterial hand cleanser such as Purell®.