Emgality is a brand-name prescription medication that’s used in adults to:
- Prevent chronic and episodic migraines. According to the International Headache Society, people with chronic migraines have 15 or more migraine days per month. People with episodic migraines have fewer than 15 migraine days per month.
- Treat episodic cluster headaches. According to the International Headache Society, people with episodic cluster headaches have headaches that occur in clusters (close to each other in timing). The clusters last anywhere from one week to one year. They’re separated by at least three months of pain-free time.
Emgality comes as a prefilled pen or syringe that you’ll use to give yourself a monthly injection.
Emgality contains the drug galcanezumab, which is a monoclonal antibody. A monoclonal antibody is a type of drug developed from immune system cells in a lab. It blocks the activity of certain proteins in your body.
Effectiveness
Emgality has been found effective in clinical studies to prevent chronic and episodic migraines and to treat episodic cluster headaches.
Emgality may be an especially effective option for people who’ve been unable to reduce their number of cluster headaches or migraine days enough with other therapies. It may also be a good option for people who can’t take other medications to prevent migraines or treat cluster headaches because of drug interactions or difficult side effects.
For migraine prevention
In clinical studies of people with chronic migraines, 28% of people who took Emgality for 3 months cut in half their number of migraine days per month. In clinical studies of people with episodic migraines, about 60% of people who took Emgality for 6 months cut in half their number of migraine days per month.
How To Dispose Of Emgality Pens
Emgality comes in single-use, prefilled Pens or in prefilled syringes. The needle is not reusable. The syringe is encased in a disposable, single-dose pen. Packs of 1, 2 or 3 pre-filled pens. Not all pack sizes may be marketed. Knowing how to dispose delivery devices such as Emgality pens, is very important because if not disposed of correctly, used Emgality pen can injure people, such as garbage and sewage workers, janitors, housekeepers and family members, and put them at risk for infection and other serious health conditions like Hepatitis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
The following are some general guidelines on how to properly dispose used Emgality pen. Sharps disposal regulations and programs vary by state, and sometimes by town or county. Most require, before disposal, putting sharps in an FDA-cleared container, made of puncture-resistant plastic with leak-resistant sides and bottom. Be sure to call your local garbage collection company, or the city or county health department to inquire about their guidelines.
- Talk to your pharmacist. Sharps disposal containers are typically available through drugstores, medical supply companies, and healthcare providers and online. Many of these are free, so ask your local pharmacist for recommendations on the best place to get them.
- Make your own container. If you are making your own sharps disposal container, a laundry detergent or bleach bottle is a good option since it’s made of heavy-duty plastic. Do NOT use glass bottles, plastic water bottles, milk jugs, cartons or soda cans, or containers that are broken or punctured. Put the cap on tight and seal with heavy tape. It must be clearly labeled “SHARPS” so others know it cannot be recycled.
- Always discard the pen with the pen cap on. Place the needle, or pen with needle attached, in a sharps disposal container. Do not recycle the needle or pen.
- Take it to a collection site. Take your sharps container to an appropriate collection site. These include doctors’ offices, hospitals, pharmacies, health departments, fire stations and other locations.
- Consider a mail-back program. Injection pens can also be sent through the mail for disposal in special containers. The cost of the container usually includes shipping and you can save big by buying in bulk.
- Keep out of reach. If you have children or pets, be sure to keep Emgality injection pens where your little ones can’t reach them.
- Don’t flush. Never dispose of an Emgality pen in the toilet or drop it down a sewer drain.
If Someone Gets Stuck
Even if you take all the necessary precautions when disposing of your injection pen, accidents can, and do, happen. If someone in your household is stuck by another’s used needle:
- Immediately wash the exposed area with water and soap, or use a skin disinfectant (antiseptic) such as rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
- Call your doctor or local hospital for care right away.
Once you know how to safely dispose of your Emgality pens, it will become a regular and simple part of your care routine. visit http://www.safeneedledisposal.org to find your state guidelines and disposal locations near you. ALSO READ: How To Dispose Of Humira Pens Properly