1. What is MED-Project USA?
MED-Project is a pharmaceutical product and sharps stewardship program operator, funded by manufacturers. MED-Project develops, implements, and operates stewardship programs for unwanted pharmaceutical products and sharps from households as mandated by local and state legislation. MED-Project currently operates nine (9) product stewardship programs for sharps in California.
2. What is CA Senate Bill 212 (SB212)?
California Senate Bill 212 establishes a stewardship program, funded by manufacturers, for the disposal of unwanted household drugs and home generated sharps waste. The program is free for customers, pharmacies, and other sharps Point-of-Sale retailers.
SB212 is designed to provide customers with a way to dispose of their unwanted household drugs and home generated sharps waste.
“Customers” generally means residents of the State of California. See the SB 212 definition of “Ultimate User” at Cal. Pub. Res. Code 42030(z) for the full definition of entities SB 212 programs serve.
3. What determines if a company is a Point-of-Sale retailer?
An eligible Point-of-Sale retailer under SB212 includes businesses that sells covered sharps products to customers in the state of California, whether it be at a retail location or online. If you are a distributor or any other business or organization that interacts with or receives questions from a Point-of-Sale retailer, you can direct the Point-of-Sale retailer to MED-Project for more information about MED-Project’s Product Stewardship SB 212 program for home generated sharps waste. Businesses, in some areas of California that have local sharps take-back programs in place, would not qualify, including businesses in the counties of Santa Clara, Alameda, and Santa Cruz, as well as the incorporated areas of the county of San Luis Obispo.
4. What are the requirements?
MED-Project is required to enable Point-of-Sale retailers to provide or initiate the distribution of a sharps mail-back package to a customer at or prior to when the customer purchases a covered sharps product and upon the customer’s request. MED-Project will offer Point-of-Sale retailers the ability to have sharps mail-back packages sent to the customer’s address in the state of California upon the customer’s purchase of a covered sharps product. MED-Project will also offer these retailers the ability to have sharps mail-back packages onsite at their retail location, where they can be issued to the customer upon the purchase of a covered sharps product.
5. Does MED-Project share Point-of-Sale retailer information with anyone?
MED-Project does not share information other than as required by law. See the MED-Project Privacy Policy for more details.
6. Who qualifies as a Point-of-Sale retailer?
If an organization sells a covered sharps product into the State of California to a customer, excluding in the counties and areas mentioned above, then the organization may qualify as a Point-of-Sale retailer.
7. What is a covered sharps product?
Covered sharps products generally include products such as hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications. For this program, eligible in-Scope purchases include purchases by a customer of any of the following: Sharps, Covered Drugs sold with or including a Sharp, and Covered Drugs sold for use with a Sharp; but excluding, components manufactured for use with external ambulatory insulin pump therapy systems or continuous glucose monitoring systems, including, but not limited to, insulin infusion sets, glucose sensors that are sterile goods indicated for single subcutaneous use, sterile drug delivery channels indicated for single subcutaneous use, and injection ports, and a “biological product,” as defined in Section 262(i)(1) of Title 42 of the United States Code, including a “combination product,” as defined in Section 3.2(e) of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
8. How does a Point-of-Sale retailer sign up?
A Point-of-Sale retailer can sign up by going to the MED-Project website to activate at med-project.org/sharpsca/. A Point-of-Sale retailer should use their facility National Provider Identifier (NPI) to activate. If a Point-of-Sale retailer does not have a facility NPI, then they can utilize an Activation Code that is obtained from MED-Project to activate. If a Point-of-Sale retailer does not have an NPI or Activation Code please direct them to call (833) MED-PROJECT or (833) 633-7765, or email us at california@med-project.org.
9. If a Point-of-Sale retailer owns multiple pharmacies/locations—can they sign them all up at once?
Yes. Please have them contact MED-Project at california@med-project.org and MED-Project can issue them a multi-site activation agreement.
The individual that signs the activation agreement must be an authorized signatory of the Point-of-Sale retailer.
11. What information do you need from a Point-of-Sale retailer to sign up?
In order to activate, a Point-of-Sale retailer will need to provide current contact information including name, title, phone number, and email address. The activation also includes agreeing to MED-Project’s terms of use for initiating sharps mail-back package orders for customers, general terms and conditions, and acknowledging MED-Project’s privacy policy.
12. How much does it cost to sign up?
There is no cost to a Point-of-Sale retailer. This stewardship program is funded by manufacturers.
13. Do Point-of-Sale retailers pay for sharps mail-back packages?
No. There is no cost to a Point-of-Sale retailer.
14. When can a Point-of-Sale retailer sign up?
Point-of-Sale retailers can sign up immediately. MED-Project recommends that Point-of-Sale retailers sign up by July 1st, 2022.
15. What if a Point-of-Sale retailer is closing?
Please contact MED-Project at (833) MED-PROJECT or (833) 633-7765 or email us at california@med-project.org.
16. What is the difference between initiating the distribution of and providing a sharps mail-back package?
“Initiating the distribution of” a sharps mail-back package allows a Point-of-Sale retailer to request, via an online ordering system, that MED-Project send a sharps mail-back package (e.g., a sharps container and mail-back materials) directly to the customer’s address, free of charge, upon the customer’s purchase of a covered sharps product at a Point-of-Sale retailer. “Providing” a sharps mail-back package allows for a Point-of-Sale retailer to issue a sharps mail-back package to a customer, free of charge, upon the customer’s purchase of a covered sharps product at a Point-of-Sale retailer. This option is not available to online retailers.
17. Do Point-of-Sale retailers have to provide storage at their retail location for sharps mail-back packages?
If a Point-of-Sale retailer decides to provide sharps mail-back packages to customers at their Point-of-Sale retail location, a case of approximately 12 sharps mail-back packages will be shipped directly to the retail location. A Point-of-Sale retailer may order more cases online from MED-Project at any time, free of charge. This option is not available to online retailers. If a Point-of-Sale retailer runs out of sharps mail-back packages, they may also use MED-Project’s online ordering system to initiate the distribution of a sharps mail-back package to a customer, and MED-Project will send the sharps mail-back package directly to the customer’s address.
18. Who can a Point-of-Sale retailer contact with questions about signing up?
Point-of-Sale retailers can contact MED-Project at (833) MED-PROJECT or (833) 633-7765 or email us at california@med-project.org.
19. What will happen after a Point-of-Sale retailer signs up?
Once a Point-of-Sale retailer signs up, MED-Project will email more information about the MED-Project Point-of-Sale system and next steps. If a Point-of-Sale retailer has any additional questions, please contact MED-Project at (833) MED-PROJECT or (833) 633-7765 or email us at california@med-project.org.
20. Will there be advertising about this program?
Yes. There will be comprehensive outreach and education to California residents.
21. What if a Point-of-Sale retailer provides sharp mail-back packages to customers to start but then wants to switch to only initiating the distribution of sharps mail-back packages to customers?
A Point-of-Sale retailer can participate in this program by initiating the distribution of a sharps mail-back package, and/or by providing a sharps mail-back package, to a customer upon the purchase of a covered sharps product and can switch between these two options or just utilize one of the options for participation. Only the option to initiate the distribution of a sharps mail-back package is available to online retailers.
22. What if a Point-of-Sale retailer is adding a new location that sells covered sharps products into the State of California?
Once the new location has an active license with the State of California Board of Pharmacy, a Point-of-Sale retailer may activate the new location.
23. What if a Point-of-Sale retailer already has a sharps program at their location?
Point of Sales retail sites can contact MED-Project for more information about their current program and how to participate in the MED-Project Product Stewardship SB212 Program at (833) MED-PROJECT or (833) 633-7765 or email us at california@med-project.org.
