Most Common Errors in the Disposal Process

Healthcare professionals are tasked with ensuring they are safely disposing of pharmaceutical waste–a responsibility that is critical for many reasons. Improper disposal can cause damage to the environment and pose a risk to public health, as well as cause the facility to incur legal consequences, violations and hefty fines for non-compliance. Here’s a look at the most common errors when it comes to pharmaceutical waste disposal.

Pharmaceutical Waste Defined

Pharmaceutical waste encompasses medications that are expired, damaged, contaminated as well as those that are no longer needed or left over. This can include those medications that fall into either the hazardous category or the non-hazardous category. Either way, they must be disposed of properly. Examples of pharmaceutical waste include the following:

• Drug kits
• Expired medications
• Glass vials that contain small or trace amounts of medication
• Pharmaceutical bins
• Expired medication

Top Pharmaceutical Disposal Mistakes

Although medical facilities are required to train their staff and maintain protocols for disposal of pharmaceuticals, mistakes happen. Here are the most common errors that occur during the disposal process:

• Overfilling waste containers
• Improperly classifying waste
• Using improper or unsecure waste containers
• No routine audits/lack of oversight

Mistakes in the disposal process can cause numerous issues for healthcare facilities, their staff and patients. These errors should be addressed by management and training should occur on a consistent basis to ensure all team members understand and are following the guidelines. When improper disposal occurs, the implications can include:

• Risk to public health & the environment
• Fines
• Legal consequences
• Injury or illness to staff, patients and visitors

All Points Medical Waste can help you ensure that your facility remains compliant with state and federal mandates when it comes to disposing of pharmaceutical waste. We are a family-owned and operated company located in Stuart, Florida and serving all of Florida. We provide full service medical waste disposal, OSHA and compliance training for your team and a variety of medical waste disposal options. Give us a call today or complete the form on this page to get a quick quote.