"Impossible to dispose of sharps"

I annually am prescribed 2 epipens re wasp sting allergy. I have recently moved from Nottinghamshire where I have never encountered problems disposing of them at the end of the wasp season.

I moved to Belper and am a patient at Whitemoor Medical Centre (WMC). I have been trying for two months to dispose of these safely. No chemist, despite trying many, will take them, but tell me to take them to my Drs. My Drs, despite asking numerous times, will not take them but say the hospital will. I have asked at the local hospital and they say they don't but my Drs will! And so this has continued with much wasted time and effort.

Today, I again took them to WMC, who refused to take them, saying the hospital would so I left with their phone number. I then went to a chemists for a flu jab and asked again. They said the Drs legally had to accept them to which I replied they wouldn't. I then phoned Babington hospital who told me they didn't but chemists would. I replied they certainly don't and recounted my experience. They then said they normally don't, but sensing my desperation, said they would this time so I took them to the day unit and a very kind lady disposed of them and gave me a complaints form which I had asked for.

Many hundreds of other people must be prescribed needles for medication or have epipens, given the rise in allergies. What do they do? Nowhere in my efforts did I see any posters advising or encouraging safe and proper disposal. Many others would have given up much earlier and put them in the bin regardless, also posing a hazard to the bin men.

Please, please could Derbyshire clarify this simple issue of who is responsible and facilitate making this easy for people. Could this be advertised and posted on the NHS website which currently says to take them to the hospital- in which case which hospital as I had to ask Babington twice. The current situation, policy and procedure, staff awareness and training just aren't good enough. I would happily pay eg £1 per item if I knew it was being safely destroyed as I strongly feel we have a responsibility to others and our environment.