Drugs down the drain
Last year, at least 10 states passed or were discussing pharmaceutical waste legislation. In January, Illinois adopted the Safe Pharmaceuticals Disposal Act, and California has “no-flush” laws in place. Legislation in New York is pending while the New York State Attorney General and the Department of Environmental Conservation increase investigations of current hospital programs and policies. Five bills were also introduced at the federal level to regulate drug disposal.
In response to the anticipated passage of legislation regarding pharmaceutical waste disposal, Nyack Hospital announced a new program that is helping it stay ahead of state and federal compliance measures.
In 2008, The Associated Press reported the detection of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water that serves 41 million Americans. This result may not seem surprising when one considers that between 1993 and 2009, more than 1,500 drugs were approved by the FDA, and that hospitals are large users of pharmaceuticals for patient care. The average hospital pharmacy formulary contains between 2,000 and 5,000 drugs. Among last year’s headlines: There are now measurable levels of drugs in the Thames River in London.
“At Nyack Hospital, we have an extensive sorting process because pharmaceutical waste in hospitals must be characterized, segregated, and transported. Items such as packaging, wrapping and applicators must also undergo sorting,” said Joseph Pinto, pharmacy director. “Many of these common pharmaceuticals used in hospitals, such as blood thinners like Coumadin and nicotine patches, are then used in thousands of homes in Rockland County. Nyack Hospital follows the state Department of Environmental Conversation guidelines and provides extensive training for nursing and pharmacy staff to show our patients in the Hudson Valley the safe and compliant way to dispose of medications. With Stericycle’s Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance program we believe we are ahead of the compliance curve and doing what’s right for our community.”
Many hospitals are just beginning to understand how to manage the process. “We want to simplify a very complex process,” continued Pinto. “We also intend to make a long-term difference in the water quality of our community. Stericycle uses reusable containers and helps confirm the hazardous status of pharmaceutical waste. We feel confident that we are making a positive, long-term impact on the environment and responsibly segregating pharmaceutical waste in a cost-effective manner.”
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