FDA Addresses Sharps Safety, But Regs Not Envisioned

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking steps to improve health and safety in the use of needles and other sharps, by launching a new web page explaining safe disposal of the medical devices, but doesn't plan formal regulatory action, an agency official says. The move buttresses a longstanding effort by OSHA to prevent bloodborne pathogen hazards in the health care sector, though a union advocate for health workers criticized FDA for not taking a regulatory approach. The new web page will help people understand the public health risks created by improperly disposing of used sharps and