As a type of medical device, single-use syringes must never be discarded carelessly after use. Moreover, relevant regulations clearly stipulate the proper disposal procedures for used single-use syringes, which generally include the following key points.
1. Vaccination sites shall designate a dedicated person responsible for the disinfection and destruction of single-use syringes.
2. Establish records for the allocation, procurement, use, and disposal of single-use syringes; these records shall be complete and ensure consistency between records and physical inventory.
3. Vaccinations should be administered using single-use syringes.
4. When administering vaccinations with disposable syringes, the “one person, one needle, one syringe, one use, one disposal” protocol must be strictly enforced.
5. When using single-use syringes, staff at primary-level vaccination facilities shall verify that the syringe packaging is intact and within its expiration date; products with damaged packaging or those past their expiration date must not be used.
6. Upon completion of vaccination, used single‑use syringes must be placed in a puncture‑resistant, secure collection container (safety box) made of robust material and submitted for proper disposal prior to the next vaccination session. The reuse of single‑use syringes is strictly prohibited.
7. After use, single-use syringes may be deformed using a needle‑destruction device, or manually deformed by separating the needle from the syringe barrel; the needle can then be placed directly into a sharps container, or bent at an angle of 90 degrees or more with forceps. The syringe should be severed at the hub with forceps and immersed in a disinfectant solution containing 1,000 mg/L available chlorine for at least 60 minutes.
The foregoing outlines the proper disposal of used disposable syringes. The final step involves destroying, incinerating, or burying these collected syringes to ensure they are disposed of as single-use items.