With one-third of all new drug applications comprising entirely new compounds, accurately identifying and properly disposing of pharmaceutical waste is becoming a daunting task.

As a result, meeting stringent state and federal regulatory guidelines is more and more difficult causing closer governmental scrutiny and an upswing in fines. The environment also suffers as improperly dispensed waste enters our waterways raising concerns.

A five-month investigation completed by the Associated Press in March 2008 confirmed that a vast array of pharmaceutical drugs are present in the drinking water of 41 million Americans and in 24 major metropolitan areas. This report triggered increased awareness and scrutiny of pharmaceutical contaminants in the country’s water supply, including congressional hearings and state-level testing initiatives. A second Associated Press investigation, reported in September 2008, found that hospitals and long-term care facilities are contributing to our nation’s contaminated drinking water by dumping 250 million pounds of drug waste annually.

What’s more, in 2009 the EPA will be collecting information from hospitals, through mandatory questionnaires, about the disposal of unused pharmaceuticals to better understand current management practices and the magnitude of discharges to waters. This questionnaire requires a signature by a C-suite level executive.

EcoRex, a fully automated, integrated system from Vestara, answers the critical need for safe and simple pharmaceutical waste removal. EcoRex greatly improves waste management processes and controls.

Specifically designed to free your staff from human error, EcoRex accurately identifies and classifies all types of pharmaceutical waste, then captures identified hazardous waste, lower risk waste, CIII-CV controlled substances, and aerosols into the proper stream for disposal. EcoRex provides the effective solution to help your facility meet or exceed regulatory compliance performance and environmental protection efforts, positively impacting administration costs.

EcoRex - The Regulatory Compliant Solution