How is pharmaceutical waste disposed of?

PHARMACEUTICAL WASTE CANNOT BE DISPOSED IN THE TRASH, DISPOSED DOWN THE DRAIN OR FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET. California does allow non-RCRA California hazardous pharmaceutical waste to be mixed with regulated medical waste IF the entire mixture will be incinerated at a regulated medical waste incinerator.

What are the different types of pharmaceutical waste?

RCRA pharmaceutical waste falls into one of three categories: P-list waste, U-list waste, and/or characteristic hazardous waste. P-listed pharmaceutical waste is acutely hazardous and includes drugs such as warfarin and nicotine patches.

What is encapsulation of waste?

Encapsulation means coating the waste with inert materials. The coating materials are chemically stable, adhere to the waste, and resist biodegradation. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polybutadiene are most often used to perform encapsulation.

Why is pharmaceutical waste hazardous?

One of the basic reasons why this kind of waste must be disposed off properly is because it contains compounds that are considered a hazard to a healthy environment. Furthermore, since most pharmaceutical chemicals don’t get removed from the waste-water, they tend to enter aquatic environments via the sewage system.

What is the color of container used for pharmaceutical waste?

blue
The bins are typically blue but sometimes also include white on the bin. These can also go by the name: “pharmaceutical waste containers.” Any drug labeled with “special handling required” will need to be discarded in a blue bin.

What goes in a pharmaceutical waste container?

In broad terms, black bins are used for hazardous pharmaceutical waste….Pharmaceutical waste is generated through the preparation and/or administration of pharmaceutical agents and may include the following:

  • Discarded medications.
  • Partially used syringes, vials, and IV bags.
  • Medication aerosols and inhalers.

What is non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste?

Non-hazardous or non-RCRA waste is waste that is not governed by RCRA laws. But it still must be disposed of properly in order to protect our communities and comply with other state and federal regulations.

What is encapsulation technique?

Encapsulation technology is a method of enclosing materials into capsules before delivery into a system.

What is environmental encapsulation?

Encapsulation effectively prevents leaching of organic materials in the soil (He and Chen, 2014). Process of encapsulation requires mixing of the contaminated soils with concrete, common lime, asphalt or any other product immobilizes and contains the contaminated soil from entering the surroundings.

How does pharmaceutical waste affect the environment?

Pharmaceuticals in the environment is a growing problem of global concern. Drugs taken by humans and animals find their way into rivers, lakes and even drinking water and can have devastating effects on both aquatic and human health.

What is an example of hazardous pharmaceutical waste?

As well as the drug itself, empty P-listed hazardous waste pharmaceutical containers, such as syringes, IV bags, tubing, and vials are also considered hazardous waste. Empty containers that held either a U-list and/or a characteristic hazardous waste do not need to be managed as hazardous waste.