Cathedral City's Innovative Program for Safe Syringe Disposal Wins Award

Sharps Compliance Corp.'s First-in-the-Nation Partnership With Cathedral City, CA Recognized by California Resource Recovery Association

• Press Release
• Source: Sharps Compliance, Inc.
• On 3:34 pm EDT, Thursday July 16, 2009

HOUSTON, July 16, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sharps Compliance Corp. (Nasdaq:SMED - News; "Sharps" or the "Company"), a leading provider of cost-effective disposal solutions for medical and pharmaceutical waste generated outside the hospital setting, today announced Cathedral City's special award by the California Resource Recovery Association ("CRRA") for its innovative program and partnership with Sharps Compliance. In partnership with Sharps, Cathedral City became the first city in the nation to offer a free and confidential program to help residents safely dispose of used hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets. The program, now in its fourth year, will be recognized with the award on August 4, 2009 at the 33rd annual CRRA Statewide Conference & Tradeshow in Rancho Mirage, California.

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The program uses the Company's flagship Sharps Disposal by Mail System(r), the first complete system for the proper disposal of the used needles and syringes commonly known as "sharps." By participating in the free and confidential program, it is estimated that approximately 1,400 Cathedral City residents who legally self-administer injections to treat diabetes, allergies, HIV and other medical conditions have prevented more than 480,000 used needles and syringes from potentially unsafe disposal in local landfills.

"We believe the Cathedral City initiative is a model program that should be implemented throughout the country. This program is designed to cost-effectively facilitate the proper and safe disposal of used syringes for the estimated nine million people in the United States who are required for medical reasons to self-administer injectable medications in their homes or wherever their travels may take them," said David P. Tusa, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Company. "The broad variety of injectable medications needed to cope with health conditions produce a staggering three billion syringes annually that, when improperly discarded in household trash or recyclables, can present the risk of injury and disease to all communities. Cathedral City took action to deal with this problem, and Sharps is proud to have its system as an integral component of the successful program."

Since the program began in 2005, Cathedral City regularly distributes informative postcards about the Sharps Disposal by Mail System(r) program to over 23,000 households in the community. Interested individuals can bring the postcard to one of four participating local pharmacies to enroll in the mail-back system. They receive the Sharps Disposal by Mail System(r), including up to three disposal containers per year for mailing to Sharps. When containers are received, Sharps responsibly destroys the used needles and syringes at its owned and fully-permitted medical waste facility.

"Although there is not yet a national requirement regarding sharps disposal, the Sharps Disposal by Mail System(r) is recognized by both federal and state regulatory agencies as one of the safest and most effective ways to manage this health and safety issue," Mr. Tusa stated. "Seven states now have some form of law restricting consumer disposal of syringes, with California having by far the strongest, so we are particularly pleased that the CRRA has recognized the successful Cathedral City program. We believe that the success of the Cathedral City program at reducing the risk of injury and infection to employees at landfills, recycling centers and trash-sorting facilities who handle used sharps, and at controlling the potential release of toxins from used sharps into the soil, air and water, points the way for many other communities nationwide to take similar action."

Those interested in learning more about protecting their communities should contact Sharps at 1-800-772-5657 or visit the Company's website at www.sharpsinc.com.

About Sharps Compliance Corp.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sharps Compliance is a leading provider of cost-effective disposal solutions for medical and pharmaceutical waste generated outside the hospital setting. The Company's flagship product, the Sharps Disposal by Mail System(r), is a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution to dispose of medical waste such as hypodermic needles, lancets and any other medical device or objects used to puncture or lacerate the skin (referred to as "sharps").

The Sharps(r)MWMS(tm), a Medical Waste Management System, is a comprehensive medical waste solution which includes an array of services and products necessary to effectively collect, store and dispose of medical waste outside of the hospital setting. The System, which is designed for rapid deployment, features the Sharps Disposal by Mail System(r) products combined with warehousing, inventory management, training, data and other services necessary to provide a comprehensive solution. The Sharps(r)MWMS(tm) is designed to be an integral part of governmental and commercial emergency preparedness programs.

The Company also offers a number of products specifically designed for the home healthcare market and products for the safe disposal of unused pharmaceuticals, RxTakeAway(tm). Sharps Compliance focuses on targeted growth markets such as the pharmaceutical, retail, commercial, and hospitality markets, as well as serving a variety of additional markets. Sharps is a leading proponent and participant in the development of public awareness and solutions for the safe disposal of needles, syringes and other sharps as well as unused pharmaceuticals in the community setting.

As a fully integrated manufacturer providing customer solutions and services, Sharps Compliance's solid business model, with strong margins and significant operating leverage, and early penetration into emerging markets, uniquely positions the company for strong future growth.

More information on Sharps Compliance can be found on its website at: www.sharpsinc.com

Safe Harbor Statement

The information made available in this press release contains certain forward-looking statements which reflect Sharps Compliance Corp.'s current view of future events and financial performance. Wherever used, the words "estimate", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "may" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and the company's future results of operations could differ materially from historical results or current expectations. Some of these risks include, without limitation, the company's ability to educate its customers, development of public awareness programs to educate the identified consumer, customer preferences, the Company's ability to scale the business and manage its growth, the degree of success the Company has at gaining more large customer contracts, managing regulatory compliance and/or other factors that may be described in the company's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and/or other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Future economic and industry trends that could potentially impact revenues and profitability are difficult to predict. The company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results express or implied therein will not be realized.

Sharps Compliance Corp.
David P. Tusa, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer & Business Development
(713) 660-3514
dtusa@sharpsinc.com

Global Communication Works
Public Relations
Suzy Ginsburg
(713) 721-4774
suzy@gcomworks.com