Pharmaceutical Solutions
Pharmaceutical Waste Management
In the past, the standard practices of pharmaceutical waste disposal in hospitals and other healthcare facilities involved “sewering”, red bag disposal and landfilling. Today, many of the pharmaceutical drugs used in these facilities are considered Hazardous waste and are regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) which was established in 1976. These pharmaceuticals should be managed as a hazardous waste and treated at a licensed hazardous waste permitted disposal facility.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enforces RCRA regulations mostly in industrial settings, but has recently begun enforcing these regulations in the healthcare industries as well. RCRA, which hasn’t been significantly updated since its implementation, regulates a pharmaceutical based on its active ingredient and, whether or not the pharmaceutical shows one of the following characteristics: Ignitability, Corrosivity, Reactivity or Toxicity. Best management practices dictate that even though some pharmaceuticals are not regulated, they should be identified, segregated, and properly managed as hazardous waste.
Because of the thousands of pharmaceuticals and hundreds of employees at healthcare facilities, keeping everything and everyone in compliance can be difficult. With MCF Systems’ Pharmaceutical Waste Management program you will be receiving help from an industry leader in effectively managing and properly disposing of all of your pharmaceutical waste.
