This is an update of the article originally published on August 7, 2020. Regulations change frequently. That’s why Sharps Compliance monitors updates and communicates any changes to its customers.
Staying at home and sheltering in place have helped reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, there has been at least one unfortunate side effect: a decrease in routine preventive medical care, like flu shots and childhood disease vaccinations.
Continue reading “Flu Shots in the Time of COVID”
This is an update of the article originally published on August 12, 2020. Regulations change frequently. That’s why Sharps Compliance monitors updates and communicates any changes to its customers.
Though severity may vary from person to person, most people with confirmed, symptomatic COVID-19 experience a fever and/or cough due to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. Some people even experience altered smell or taste. However, because not everyone with COVID-19 will have symptoms, the CDC recommends testing for all people in close contact with those who have confirmed COVID-19.
Continue reading “COVID Testing: Why, When, & Where You Need It”
The 2018 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act included a provision directing the federal General Accounting Office (GAO) to review and report on ultimate-user options for safe and effective disposal of unused opioids. In 2019, the agency released its report to Congress. One section discussed why “federal agencies recommend take-back options as the preferred disposal method” for unused/unwanted opioids.
Continue reading “Federal Agencies Recommend Take-Back Options as the Preferred Opioid Disposal Method”
The COVID-19 pandemic has state governments scrambling to manage both the health crisis and budget shortfalls caused by the economic downturn. In some states, that has led to budget cuts in many areas, including funds to fight the opioid epidemic. Treatment professionals worry that funding cuts to treatment programs and the pandemic shutdown could cause patients to drop out of treatment, potentially increasing addiction and mortality rates. Many Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) patients in recovery and treatment programs share those concerns.
Continue reading “How the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Affecting the Opioid Epidemic in the US”
A question many facilities face once they have utilized all of a hazardous material or pharmaceutical is whether the seemingly empty container is trash or hazardous waste? While the answer can vary somewhat by state, here are some guidelines to review to make your determination.
