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Proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste is the law!

Oct 24, 2018

5 Questions to Ask About Legal Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal

Do you have pharmaceutical waste? Here are 5 questions for you to ask to help determine if your facility is complying with the law.

1. Have you ever dropped tablets or spilled liquid medication on the floor?
Spilled or contaminated medications are pharmaceutical waste that must be disposed of in compliance with federal and state hazardous waste regulations.

2. Do you ever prepare medication, but not fully administer/dispense it?
Partial or full prepared injections or IV bags are pharmaceutical waste that must be disposed of in compliance with federal and state hazardous waste regulations.

3. Do you ever receive sample medications from pharmaceutical representatives that expire before you can dispense them to patients?
Expired sample medications are pharmaceutical wastes, and responsibility for the disposal of expired sample medications falls to the facility that has custody of them when they expire.

4. Have you ever had patients whose medications changed, or who were discharged from your facility and their personal medications remained behind?
Any prescribed medication that can’t be used for its intended purpose and that remains in the custody of a healthcare facility is a pharmaceutical waste and must be disposed of properly by the healthcare facility.

5. Do you dispense warfarin, nicotine, physostigmine or arsenic trioxide?
These four drugs fall into a special subset of EPA hazardous wastes and even their empty packaging requires special management.

Medical, Hazardous and Pharmaceutical Waste

Oct 1, 2018

Not All Wastes Are Created Equal. Know The Differences Between Medical, Hazardous, And Pharmaceutical Wastes.

The U.S. is responsible for producing a hopping 220 million tons of waste a year.  Because of this, both the government and environmental associations have developed numerous methods of dealing with the problem through waste management.  Waste management is a rather complex issue that encompasses several industries, and the type of waste determines how and when it should be disposed of, and in what manner. Here are the key differences.

Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste is a rather broad category, but is defined as any type of waste that poses either a substantial or potential threat to public health and the environment.  This includes explosive waste, flammable liquids and solids, waste that is poisonous and toxic, and of course, waste that is infectious.

Once a material is deemed no longer useful and is ready for disposal, it is necessary to consider whether it can be safely and legally put in a dumpster for land filling, poured down the drain, or set aside as a hazardous waste for special disposal.  You should always refer to local and federal laws to see how to dispose of hazardous waste.

Medical Waste

Technically speaking, medical waste is hazardous waste.  There are many terms used to identify medical waste, including infectious waste, biological waste, medical waste, hospital waste, medical hazardous waste, microbiological waste, pathological waste, and red bag waste.  Medical waste comes in several forms, including solid and liquid.  Solid waste includes culture media, personal protective equipment that has been contaminated, and other materials, like sharps, pipette tips, glassware and more.  Liquid waste includes blood, blood products, and bodily fluids.  The Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate bio-hazardous waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the primary authority for regulating workplace standards and employee health and safety.

Pharmaceutical Waste

Like medical waste, pharmaceutical waste can also be considered hazardous waste.  Unused pharmaceuticals are a hazard for abuse and are a threat to the environment if disposed of improperly.  Reliable and concrete statistics are hard to come by, but it’s a safe assumption that we, as consumers, are responsible for a hefty percentage of the pharmaceutical and personal care products that wind up in lakes, rivers, and streams.  In a typical U.S. household, the medicine cabinet is full of unused and expired drugs, only a fraction of which get disposed of appropriately.

While the FDA has and still recommends flushing certain medications, the best course of action is to research a take-back program. Law enforcement, public health, and environmental professionals feel that these programs are the safest and most responsible way to dispose of unwanted and expired medicines to protect your family and to protect our waters.

Knowing and understanding the different types of waste will help mitigate environmental risks as well as keep you in compliance.  Don’t takes guesses about the waste you produce. Know where to find the resources and technical assistance to help health care facilities comply with the law and protect the environment. Call Glycon for all information on your medical waste disposal in Glendale CA and surrounding Southern and Central CA regions.

What You Need to Know About Pharmaceutical Waste Management

Mar 12, 2018

Pharmaceutical waste management

You have to deal with pharmaceutical waste management if you run either a hospital, an emergency care clinic or a pharmacy. This could include expired pharmaceuticals, bags and vials containing traces of a toxic drug, or pills and liquids that spilled or were spit out by a patient. Surely, there exist many other types of waste produced by a pharmacy, such as product packaging, personal protective equipment, etc. But in this article we’ll use pharmaceutical waste to imply mainly pills, vaccines, ointments and related medications used for treating patients or medical research.

It is very important to collect and dispose pharmaceutical waste in an appropriate manner, because it poses a big risk to the environment and people. If hazardous or bio-active substances enter our ground water or water treatment plants, they may lead to adverse effects in humans, animals and plants on a molecular level. The environment is already polluted with the pharmaceuticals we use to medicate ourselves, our pets and livestock. As a medical facility, it’s your duty to ensure proper collection and disposal of pharmaceutical waste, whether it’s a single vial or an entire case.

Classifying Pharmaceutical Waste

Many different waste items produced during day-to-day operations of a pharmacy or a healthcare facility are included in pharmaceutical waste. These items may belong to the following medical waste categories based on their toxicity and disposal requirements:

  • RCRA hazardous waste, specifically P-listed and U-listed substances (chemical products that pose risk to the environment and human health).
  • Substances that are not specifically listed as RCRA hazardous waste, but that possess similar characteristics and should be treated as hazardous.
  • Infectious waste includes things like live vaccines and blood products.
  • Controlled substances that fall under the DEA regulations.

Separating Hazardous and Non-hazardous Waste

The separation of  RCRA hazardous waste from non-hazardous waste is considered one of the biggest challenges of managing pharmaceutical waste . This is very important  to ensure proper collection and disposal. As it was already said, RCRA hazardous substances are separated  into several lists that you can check with.

Thus,  you can’t rely on the new substances as they  get developed faster than these lists are updated,. If a substance is not on one of the RCRA lists, find  the following qualities that RCRA has selected to help identify “characteristic hazardous waste.”

  • Ignitability—often a solution containing 24% alcohol or more and has a flash point less than 140 degrees F.
  • Corrosivity—has a pH of 2 or lower or 2.5 or higher.
  • Reactivity—unstable substances that react with basic elements, such as water, and produce harmful byproducts.
  • Toxicity—mostly heavy metals that may be above maximum concentration.

Feel free to click on the links and print out the full definitions provided by the EPA. If one or more of these characteristics are present in a pharmaceutical, treat it as hazardous.

Disposal of RCRA Hazardous Waste

RCRA hazardous waste  shouldn’t be collected in red bags as  is not the same as infectious or bio-hazardous waste,  that’s why  it is specifically  collected in large drums or smaller black bins with secure lids.  it’s important to choose the right container and place a label identifying whether the waste is flammable, toxic or otherwise dangerous due  to the fact that  hazardous waste can be reactive and corrosive, Some unopened or partially used pharmaceuticals may be eligible for shipping back to the manufacturer.

Never dispose of liquid RCRA hazardous waste by pouring it down the drain. Most water treatment facilities are not provided with such equipment which may  help  to remove these kind of contaminants from water. RCRA hazardous waste needs to be collected by your Los Angeles medical waste disposal company and transported to an RCRA-approved facility for disposal. This type of waste, before being placed in a landfill,  was traditionally incinerated, but the EPA has recently proposed new regulations to require 100% incineration.

New EPA Regulations

As we figured out, the EPA has recently offered new management standards for hazardous waste pharmaceuticals. These  standards aim  to protect waterways and drinking water supplies from contamination with pharm waste, and also protect the population  from mismanagement of hazardous waste.

If admitted, these new standards will apply to any healthcare or similar facilities that deal with RCRA hazardous pharmaceutical waste. What this means to you:

  • You will have to follow subpart P of 40 CFR part 266 (the new rule), instead of 40 CFR part 262 (the current rule).
  • Pharmaceuticals that are not eligible for manufacturer’s credit (non-creditable) can be managed on or off site. When managed off site, they should be accompanied by the hazardous waste manifest.
  • Pharmaceuticals that are eligible for manufacturer’s credit (creditable) can be shipped to the manufacturer.
  • Disposal of RCRA pharmaceuticals by pouring down the drain or toilet will be prohibited.
  • Hazardous pharm waste managed under this rule won’t count toward determining your status as a small-quantity or large-quantity generator.
  • Pharmaceuticals that are also controlled substances under DEA may be exempt from this rule.
  • There will be new rules for managing trace hazardous waste (residue left in containers).

As always, you can rely on GLYCON LLC, Inc. to keep you up to date on any new regulations.

Educate Your Staff and Patients

Find out and be convinced whether  your personel knows how to separate different kinds of pharmaceutical waste and which containers to use.  Besides insuring proper disposal this will  help prevent unnecessary exposure to potentially harmful substances. And remember  to educate your patients about what they should do with their unused or expired medications. You could even carry out  a “send back your unused pills” program to offer your patients an easy solution.

Have any other questions about pharmaceutical waste disposal? Feel free to contact Glycon LLC, and we’ll be happy to clear up any confusion, provide proper containers or offer professional advice.

HOW PROPER PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE DISPOSAL CAN HELP YOUR FACILITY

Jan 11, 2018

pharmaceutical waste disposal

When we make a decision about pharmaceutical waste disposal of any kind, stop and think before you flush prescription drugs down the toilet or sink. It’s obvious that doing such things may raise the risk of contaminating ground water. However it is also not desirable to throw the said pharmaceuticals in the trash. Landfills are already overflowing with hazardous items, and there is a possibility for them to end up in the wrong hands. The EPA and other governing agencies have been sparing their efforts over the past couple of years putting together policies to protect our environment and the human race alike.

What does this mean for your business or facility? Check out the following frequently asked questions about pharmaceutical waste disposal and waste management if you want to find out more about how you can assist your place of work and your environment.

Are All Pharmaceuticals Considered Hazardous Waste?

Of course, not all pharmaceutical waste is considered a hazardous waste depending on where you live. Although even if a particular type of pharmaceutical waste may not be considered “hazardous”, pharmaceuticals can still be harmful. Because of this reason it is very important to dispose of, transport, and eliminate pharmaceutical waste properly. Different types of chemicals combinations are included in pharmaceuticals. and in case of improper disposing of multiple pharmaceuticals major damage can be caused.

Can Pharmaceutical Waste Be Red Bagged ?

The simple answer is “no.” Like we talked about it above, pharmaceutical waste often contains many different chemicals and chemical combinations; therefore, it is considered a hazardous chemical waste. Red bagged waste contains bio-hazardous waste and is most commonly placed in an autoclave, microwave, or incinerator until the waste is considered harmless.

Hazardous chemical waste, such as pharmaceutical waste, must be disposed of by placing the waste into an incinerator which is brought to a temperature that is so high that it can literally break down the chemical composition of the waste.

Can All Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal Be Placed In The Same Container?

Pharmaceutical waste can have different forms, among them liquid, powder, and solids. As far as we know from the subject of chemistry class, when we join certain chemicals together, chemical reactions occur. So it is very important that certain pharmaceuticals be divided in separate containers depending on certain characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity.

Why Is Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal Important?

There are a lot of reasons why it is important and necessary to dispose the pharmaceutical waste. Several main top reasons for proper disposal are: the health of workers and patients, the reputation of facility, and the facility’s bottom dollar due to increased fines being imposed if hazardous waste is not disposed of properly.

Glycon realizes the policies and regulations that surround medical waste removal and medical waste disposal. Let Glycon take the efforts and stress out of managing your facility’s medical waste flow.

Glycon offers safe, compliant, and affordable pharmaceutical waste disposal solutions customized to fit your requirements. Give Glycon a call today at (844) 494-8222

Which Drugs are Considered Pharmaceutical Hazardous Waste?

Nov 30, 2017

pharmaceutical hazardous waste

A great number of prescription drugs are allocated throughout the U.S every day. Many go unused by the prescribed patients who are left to wonder how to dispose of these pharmaceuticals in a right way.

Wrong disposal of pharmaceutical hazardous waste can cause negative impacts on the environment and even the health of individuals around them.

In accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there exist nearly 30 commercial chemical products. They are listed on the dangerous waste lists that are used pharmaceutic ally. However, a lot of people are unaware of which pharmaceuticals contain these chemical compositions.

A hard waste is considered hazardous waste if it meets a listing or exhibits a characteristic described in title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 261. The best way to describe it is to see if the waste exhibits one or more of these four characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity. When the time of a pharmaceutical drug expired and you throw them away. You should check to see if it contains a hazardous chemical that needs specific methods of disposal.

Visit Washington Department of Ecology Website to see the full article on which pharmaceutical drugs are considered pharmaceutical hazardous waste

The Department of Ecology website gives you an overview of which pharmaceuticals constitute as hazardous waste, together a list of generic prescription names you can search.

 

Get Free, No Obligation Quotes on Regulated Medical Waste Disposal Today!

To get a free quote on Los Angeles medical waste disposal, give us a call at (844) 494-8222.