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Pharmaceutical waste can be classified non-hazardous, hazardous, or lower risk requiring highly regulated handling and disposal methods. Considering that a typical hospital will annually dispose of one million drugs and containers, the job of classifying items for disposal can be overwhelming. Some of these drugs are finding their way into our water table and may be disrupting important biological processes, both in wildlife and in people.
Disposal regulations are often overlooked. Frequently, the regulations are misunderstood, because the hospital or clinic staff is unaware of the breadth of requirements. Sometimes, the cost of compliance is a hindrance.
The options available to clinicians include manual identification of the types of pharmaceutical waste from a potential 140,000 FDA National Drug Code products, sorting and disposing of the waste in a secure safe container and when required, manual recording of disposed liquid or material. These approaches are time_consuming and laborious, especially in light of the complicated state and federal hazardous waste regulations. The average nurse, for instance, may handle 50-240 medications per day. How can each be expected to identify, sort, and properly dispose of every pharmaceutical encountered?
A Vital Step in Managing Pharmaceutical Waste (pdf)
Drug Waste Management Issues and Solutions (pdf)
EcoRex - The Regulatory Compliant Solution
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