Management
Presented by:
Nathan Funk, MHA, BS
Environmental Health & Safety Officer
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
3000 New Bern Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27610
(919) 350-8375 Office
WakeMed.org
Objectives
• What is Hazardous Waste
• What is Pharmaceutical Waste
• Waste Disposal Options
• Regulatory Enforcement
• Pharmaceutical Waste Collection Models
• Hazardous Waste Generator Status
• Proposed Management Standards for Hazardous
Waste Pharmaceuticals Rule
• Other Program Decisions
• Training
• Additional Hazardous Waste Streams
Resource Conservation &
Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Enacted in 1976, enforced by the EPA
• Federal regulation of the disposal of solid
wastes
• Defines “hazardous waste”
• Encourages the minimization of waste
generation
Hazardous Waste (40 CFR
261.31, 261.32, 261.33)
• P-Listed chemicals (acutely toxic chemicals)
• U-Listed chemicals (toxic chemicals)
• D-Listed (characteristic hazardous waste)
– Ignitability
– Corrosivity
– Toxicity
– Reactivity
• F-list (wastes from common manufacturing and
industrial processes)
• K-list (wastes from specific industries)
Examples of P-Listed Waste
Containers that have held P listed wastes are not RCRA empty unless
they are triple rinsed and the rinsate discarded as hazardous waste
Examples of U-Listed Waste
• Federal Regulations
– Resource Conservation & Recovery Act
(RCRA)
– Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA –
a.k.a. “Superfund”)
• State Regulations (NC)
– Mirror Federal Rules & Regulations
– Recent Increased Enforcement
Why Manage Pharmaceutical
Waste?
• U.S. Geological Survey
– Measured concentrations of 95 Organic
Wastewater Contaminants in water samples from
139 streams in 30 states
• Organic Wastewater Contaminants were found in 80% of
the streams sampled
– Pharmaceuticals and Other Chemicals Common in
Landfill Waste
• Study of 19 landfills across the United States found 129 of
202 pharmaceutical (prescription and nonprescription),
household, and industrial chemicals in untreated leachate
samples (prior to treatment and environmental release)
Waste Disposal Options
# Question Answer
1 Can sharps go into the If you have a sharp with an unused or partially used dose, squirt the
pharmaceutical waste remaining dose into the black pharmaceutical waste container and
container? dispose of the sharp into the red sharps container.
# Question Answer
10 How do I remove Refer to the CRG Removing Pharmaceutical Waste from Isolation
pharmaceutical waste from Precaution Rooms for step-by-step instructions.
an Isolation Precautions
Training
room?
11 What if I am unsure where to When in doubt, place all pharmaceutical waste (with the
dispose of a pharmaceutical EXCEPTION of sharps, controlled substances,
container? radiopharmaceuticals, and IV fluids without medications) into the
black pharmaceutical waste container for disposal.
12 Why do the containers need Regulations state that waste containers must be kept closed at all
to be closed? times except when in use (actively discarding an item into them).
13 Where can containers be Regulations require the containers to be secured. Therefore,
placed in the department? containers will be placed into medication rooms and at continuously
occupied areas within a department.
14 How do we get more black The vendor’s staff will be rounding to remove and replace the liners
pharmaceutical waste Monday thru Friday. If you have a container that is full, please
containers? contact the vendor at the e-mail listed below. Provide your name,
the site, department, your contact number and the location of the
container that needs to be replaced.
Nights/Weekends/Holidays:
Leave the full containers in place as only trained personnel can
move them. Obtain an additional container as per instructions
below:
o Cary Hospital and Raleigh Campus: Call Environmental
Services for your site.
o Healthplexes: Extra pharmaceutical waste containers will be
located in the MPD area on your site. Contact Campus Police
for access to this area if needed.
15 How do I contact the onsite The vendor program manager can be contacted through the
vendor program manager? following email address hazwaste@wakemed.org
16 Can Environmental Services Environmental Services is not permitted by regulations to transport
pick up full black full black pharmaceutical waste containers within the facilities.
pharmaceutical waste
containers?
17 If the department has too Contact Environmental Health & Safety at 919-350-8080.
many or too few black
pharmaceutical waste
containers, how do I adjust
the number and/or adjust the
locations?
18 If I have concerns about the Environmental Health & Safety is coordinating the budget and
program, who do I call? operations of the program. Should you have suggestions,
questions, or concerns, contact Environmental Health & Safety at
Page 1 of 1
Training
Program Support
• Aerosol Cans
– Maintenance Operations, Food & Nutrition,
Environmental Services, etc.
• Pathology
– Alcohols, Non-Path Vials, Analyzer Waste,
Specimens in Formalin
• Used Oil
Additional Resources
Proposed Pharmaceutical
Waste Rule Proposed Rule FAQs
Questions?
Nathan Funk
nfunk@wakemed.org