Improper Disposal of Medication is Costly to Health and Environment

Prescription and over-the-counter medication, while helpful and necessary for health care, can be harmful to people, animals, and the environment if not disposed of properly.

Reliable and concrete statistics are hard to come by, but it’s a safe assumption that we, as consumers, are responsible for a hefty percentage of the pharmaceutical and personal care products that wind up in lakes, rivers, and streams. In a typical U.S. household, the medicine cabinet is full of unused and expired drugs, only a fraction of which get disposed of appropriately.

Going back as far as early 2000, a U.S. Geological Survey found perceptible amounts of one or more medications in 80 percent of  water samples drawn from a network of 139 streams in 30 states.

There’s really not much question that improper pharmaceutical waste disposal continues, but there are measures that everyone can take collectively to mitigate the environmental impact.

Don’t flush it or toss it

This is the very least step that we as consumers can do to help minimize what we put in the environment. While the FDA has and still recommends flushing certain medications, the best course of action is to research a take-back program. Law enforcement, public health, and environmental professionals feel that these programs are the safest and most responsible way to dispose of unwanted and expired medicines to protect your family and to protect our waters.

The same goes for tossing medication in the trash. It is not recommended to just place unused medication in a garbage can, rather add cat litter, coffee grounds, or some other unappealing material in an effort to cut down on the chances that a child or animal might eat the contents.

Rather than gamble with the environment and the health of our communities, it is best to speak with a medical waste removal agent, like MedXwaste about disposing unused and unwanted medications.

Limit how much and how often you purchase drugs

While volume discounts are attractive for their cost-saving measures, purchasing medications in bulk often leads to a surplus of unused medication that will need disposal. Find ways to purchase prescription and OTC medications that are easy on your wallet, but also easy on the environment.

There are several things we can do as individuals to limit pharmaceutical pollution, and MedXwaste can help you and your communities navigate this often complex and confusing subject.

Call us today to learn about our training programs and medical waste removal packages.

It’s National Smile Month. How’s the Health of Your Dental Office?

 

Along with ringing in Summer and schools letting out, there’s a reason for several million smiles across the country this time of year: it’s National Smile Month. National Smile Month is an oral health campaign to raise awareness of important health issues, and that includes maintaining our pearly whites.

Beyond proper dental hygiene and maintenance for patients, it’s a good time for dental offices to reflect on the health and well-being of their offices, too, specifically how dental medical waste is dealt with and disposed of.

Dental offices are subject to a variety of federal, state, and local regulations concerning the safe handling of their waste materials.

According to Dentistry Today, there are several types of regulated medical waste in dental offices. These require special handling, and include pathologic waste, like exfoliated or extracted teeth, used sharps, such as injection needles, scalpel blades, instruments, burs, and broken contaminated glass, and potential sharps, such as anesthetic carpules.

Much like other medical waste, dental waste must be segregated. Regulated medical waste must be placed into appropriately designed containers, usually red biohazard bags or sharps boxes. Examples of regulated waste found in dental-practice settings are solid waste soaked or saturated with blood or saliva, extracted teeth, surgically removed hard and soft tissues, and contaminated sharp items. Used gloves, masks, and gowns are not considered regulated dental waste, therefore do not need to be segregated into containers.

Dental waste isn’t exclusive to needles, sharps, and other instruments. Dentists deal with amalgam fillings, a combination of metals that have been the most popular and effective filling material used in dentistry. According to the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP),  “waste amalgam should be collected in the dental office for recycling by a licensed recycling facility.”

Other dental waste items include, but are not limited to:

MedXwaste works with dental offices to help manage and dispose of dental medical waste. Our OSHA Compliance Program can help your office prepare for safety audits, design a safety plan builder, as well as keep you informed on all state and federal regulations.

While National Smile Month reminds us to maintain good oral hygiene, it’s as good a time as any for dental offices to go beyond the smile and keep their staff, patients, and communities, safe, too. The campaign encourages participation at any level by dental practices, and that should include safe and secure dental medical waste removal.

 

What Government Agencies Are Responsible for Medical Waste Disposal?

There are a variety of resources and agencies that oversee the proper disposal of medical waste, but managing compliance can be confusing. There is no one answer to the question of who is responsible for medical waste disposal, as regulations vary by state and local requirements. The main agencies involved with regulated medical waste (RMW) include:

US DOT

Medical waste disposal isn’t exclusive to how it is disposed of, but also how it is transported. This is where the DOT comes in. Shippers of medical waste must ensure compliance with the U.S. DOT Hazardous Material Regulations for ground transport.  In addition, the DOT requires that carriers are trained in general awareness, security awareness, and function-specific training.

Hotel Medical Waste

US EPA

While the EPA does not currently have congressional authority to regulate medical waste, it is worth mentioning its history. The EPA has not had authority since the expiration of the Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) of 1988 in 1991.  However, it still serves as a resource for RMW information. As its name suggests, the EPA serves to protect human health and the environment, so while it no longer governs RMW, it works with other arms of health agencies to protect the environment from RMW.

The EPA does, however, have jurisdiction over medical waste treatment technologies and processing plants, which reduce the infectiousness of the waste by using chemicals and other alternative methods. This jurisdiction comes from the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Companies must register their products under FIFRA through EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticide, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), Antimicrobial Division.

US FDA

The FDA is responsible for the protection of public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines, and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. It currently oversees medical products and tobacco, foods, global regulatory operations and policy, and operations.

The FDA has specific requirements for the containment of medical waste. Federal regulations require that regulated bloodborne pathogen medical waste be placed in bags that are either labeled with the biohazard symbol, are colored red, or both. Used sharps must be placed in containers meeting FDA puncture-resistant and leak-proof certification.

OSHA

OSHA regulations relating to medical waste are designed to ensure the safety of anyone who comes in contact with that waste. It is responsible for establishing guidelines that dictate the safe handling, transport, and disposal of medical waste. While the majority of medical workers are aware of these regulations, one misstep can lead to hefty fines, and the consequences can escalate if a doctor’s office or hospital is found to be negligent.

The only way to stay compliant is through proper OSHA training. MedXwaste offers OSHA Compliance Training, available completely online, and covers topics such as safety training, federal regulations, and safety plan building.

While managing medical waste disposal can be tricky, MedXwaste serves as an authority on all local and federal laws to help you maintain compliance.

Contact us today for assistance with adhering to biohazard waste regulations.

Medical Waste Disposal: Incineration Vs. Autoclaving

The proper disposal of medical waste is a multi-pronged issue that is regulated on both the state and federal level. You may be familiar with the bins, red bags, and other containers that house medical waste, but you may not be as familiar with what happens to that waste once it’s been placed in the receptacles.

There are two primary methods to deal with medical waste once it’s been disposed of in properly-labeled medical waste packaging: incineration and autoclaving. While both treat medical waste, the two are vastly different procedures. Each serve a different purpose, and whether to autoclave or incinerate is contingent on the type of medical waste that is being disposed of.

What is incineration?

A quick Google search will yield this common definition of incineration: “Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials.” Basically, medical waste is burned in a controlled manner in a dedicated incinerator.

Incineration comes with a few benefits, mostly that it reduces what goes into landfills, which can save municipalities on tax dollars. The waste is completely sterilized, the volume is reduced, and the waste is kept out of the physical environment.

Through Waste-to-Energy processes, incineration can be used to produce electricity and heat that can be used to power and heat nearby buildings.

What is autoclaving?

Autoclaving is a process that uses moist heat to sterilize various medical waste, from medical instruments, applicators, and other items that contain microorganisms. When medical waste is placed inside the autoclave, they are exposed to high temperature steam. The time varies based on the amount and physical size of the equipment that needs sterilization. This hot steam will kill germs that simple detergent or boiling water could not.

During the sterilizing process, steam is continuously entering the autoclave to thoroughly kill all dangerous microorganisms.

Autoclaving still has limitations. It does not take care of hazardous materials like chemical waste and pharmaceutical waste.

Incinerate or Autoclave?

As mentioned, incinerating or autoclaving will depend on the type of waste being disposed of. Incineration should be used for

Autoclaving is reserved for what’s known as “red bag” waste, including gauze, bandages, gowns, sharps, and other medical equipment.

Here at MedXwaste, 90 percent of our waste is autoclaved while the rest is incinerated.

We can help you and your facility develop a medical waste removal program that adheres to all state and federal laws and help you understand the process of medical waste disposal.

Call us today for your equipment and compliance needs.

Medical Waste Packaging: Who Is Responsible?

On-site management of regulated medical waste is a multi-pronged issue, as there are state and federal regulations, all of which cover packaging, disposal, handling, and removal. Many states require that facilities that deal with medical waste have a plan to meet OSHA requirements, and with all of these rules and regulations in place, deciphering who is responsible for what can be confusing. When it comes to medical waste packaging, facilities must check with their respective state for the most up-to-date regulations, but many have common denominators that are the same across the board.

What is medical waste packaging and who is responsible for it?

Medical waste packaging and labeling in a facility that deals with regulated medical waste is the responsibility of the facility itself. Packaging includes sharps containers, biohazard containers, plastic bags, and reusable containers. Failure to comply with safe containment is not only an environmental issue, but a community health issue that can come with hefty fines.

Because of the nature of medical waste, it cannot be thrown in a regular trash receptacle. For sharps, the container must be rigid, leak-resistant, and puncture-resistant as not to spread infectious disease. Sharps containers must also be secured tightly.

According to the FDA, used needles and other sharps must be immediately placed in FDA-cleared sharps disposal containers. It also says that sharps containers must be:

As with any package, one must not overfill! The FDA recommends facilities fill sharps containers only ¾ full to prevent injury.

With plastic bags, not all are created equal. Medical waste facilities cannot simply rely on old shopping bags or zipper-style bags to throw away waste. Medical waste plastic bags must be tear-resistant, and be red in color to distinguish it from regular trash.

Reusable containers are acceptable, but the container itself must be disinfected after each use.

Your best safeguard against non-compliance and maintaining community health is to work with a reputable medical waste removal company, such as Medxwaste.

Medxwaste disposes of hazardous materials generated by hospitals, nursing homes, dental clinics, tattoo parlors, and pharmacies, as well as many other types of industrial and commercial companies.

Because containing medical waste is a health and environmental issue, Medxwaste offers equipment to ensure that you’re keeping your medical waste where it belongs: in a safe, secure, and approved package for removal. We can provide bins, red bags, and sharps containers so you never have to worry about whether or not you are in compliance.

Medxwaste adheres to best business practices for the collection and disposal of medical waste and other hazardous waste.

Need help with a medical waste removal program for your facility? Contact us today for all of your training, equipment, and removal needs today.

Proper Disposal for Tattoo Parlor Medical Waste

Medical waste disposal isn’t a compliance issue that is strictly tied to the healthcare community. While we may associate medical waste with hospitals, medical labs, doctors’ offices, or long-term care facilities, there are other businesses that must follow the same safety guidelines when it comes to medical waste, and that includes tattoo parlors.

Tattoo parlor medical waste refers to the instruments that piercing professionals and tattoo artists produce when piercing or tattooing a client, including sharps, lancets, tattoo needles, sterile dressing, unused ointment, and gloves.

Consider this – tattoos are made by inserting ink into the deepest layers of the skin. The mechanized needle punctures the skin and injects ink just below the dermis, which means that the needle comes into contact with bodily fluids, and is therefore considered medical waste.

Tattoo parlor medical waste includes:

There are health risks associated with tattoo parlor medical waste, just as there are risks associated with labs and healthcare facilities that do not sterilize equipment, or do not follow medical waste removal guidelines. If tattoo parlor conditions are unsanitary, this can increase the risk of infection for hepatitis, tuberculosis, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.  However, risks for these diseases are low as long as sanitation and sterilization procedures are followed for proper tattoo medical waste removal.

Tattoo parlors can avoid non-compliance and health risks by investing in a medical waste removal company to handle any and all tattoo parlor medical waste. A medical waste removal company is equipped to safely handle, transport, and dispose of tattoo parlor medical waste properly, in accordance with State and Federal regulations, to protect the public from dangerous pathogens.

MedXwaste can help tattoo shop owners maintain compliance regulation with our services; we will pick up, transport and dispose of all tattoo equipment and other biowaste in a cost-effective and reliable way. Whether you need monthly or daily medical waste disposal services, our team can help set up a schedule that meets your needs to ensure that your employees, clients, and the environment are safe and protected.

Helpful Tips Before Signing a Medical Waste Contract

When shopping for a medical waste removal vendor, who you choose to service your needs absolutely matters to your business. It’s important to remember that transparency is key, as any mistakes could fall on your business and compromise your reputation, not to mention put you at serious risk for fines and legal complications. It is up to you to know who you’re dealing with. Unsure of where to begin? We have some helpful tips to ensure that you’re not only getting the quality service you deserve, but the compliant and legal service that you and your business require.

Check to see if the prospective company is a large or small one. Sometimes, size does make the difference.

Small businesses have many advantages over their larger counterparts. Large companies are can be hampered by their size, and often times customer service quality falls through the cracks. Small businesses are often more innovative with impeccable attention to detail. MedXwaste prides itself on its small business status, but with big business ideas, all while keeping the focus on the customer.

Is the company local?

When shopping around for the best possible price on services, there’s one thing to keep in mind: local vendors offer advantages that larger companies can’t match. From first-rate, dependable customer service to customized solutions, there is a great advantage to going local. Not only is it an investment in your community, but local service providers share a similar, unique view of their communities. They also have a better understanding of the local dynamic and customer base. With this valuable information, a local service provider can cater solutions that will help your company better meet its needs and requirements, especially as these pertain to medical waste. MedXwaste services many areas in the Northeast and Southeast to help our clients maintain compliance and keep communities healthy.

Contracts: Long-term or Short-term?

Some medical waste removal companies require that you sign multi-year contracts, but these don’t always jive with smaller companies, such as tattoo parlors, local veterinary practices, and small, family-owned funeral homes. You know you need a medical waste company to help keep you compliant, but you don’t want to enter into a multi-year agreement that doesn’t fit your budget or needs. As a customer-focused company, MedXwaste works with our customers to find a schedule and solution that is centered around how much and how often you produce medical waste. Need a one-time pick up? MedXwaste can take care of that for you. If you need more regular, routine service, our educated staff can work with you on a service agreement that fits your budget and schedule.

Combined Services/Discount Services

A busy medical office will not only produce regulated medical waste, but sensitive paper waste as well. Does your medical waste removal professional partner with document destruction specialists to offer combined services? It would be beneficial to ask. Consider that most healthcare and medical professionals must properly destroy medical records in order to protect the privacy of patients. Doctors and healthcare practitioners are entrusted with individuals most sensitive and confidential information, which must be handled with care and discretion.  MedXwaste can make it easier on your staff and your budget, as we partner with Legal Shred to offer our clients document destruction services at a discounted rate. Legal Shred ensures your medical records are destroyed properly and professionally before they leave your property. The company is experienced in the careful destruction of healthcare records and medical charts, and helping to ensure the privacy of your patients and customers.

Compliance Programs: a Boon for Your Business

OSHA can fine your business up to $7,000 for each non-compliant item on their checklist. Are you current on your MSDS/SDSs, safety training, and safety plans? Have you conducted your own workplace OSHA audit? Not sure where to start?

MedXwaste offers an online OSHA training program that can be easily and inexpensively implemented into your current safety training. The course is designed to provide effective OSHA compliance training for all employees through our internet-based program.

The Bottom Line

Who you choose to work with is not only a reflection on your business, but a reflection on the health and wealth of the communities you service.

For more information about how to find the right medical waste management company, contact a representative of MedXwaste to find a program that suits your needs and your budget.

Hotel Medical Waste improper handling fined $12,000

It’s not uncommon to hear about non-compliance in the medical waste industry, but typically these scenarios involve institutions that deal with medical waste directly, like hospitals, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, and veterinary practices. Current events highlight an unlikely case of fines brought on by OSHA; this time, the business in question is a popular Boston hotel with hotel medical waste.

Hotel Medical Waste

Hotel Medical Waste

While it seems logical that the hotel industry deals with waste far beyond common trash, the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill is a special case because the hotel is actually being fined for improper protection of staff that have had to deal with actual medical waste. The reason this particular location has had an influx of medical waste contact is because of it’s very location – right near Massachusetts General Hospital, which operates right next door.

The Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill hotel has acted as a temporary home to many patients from out of town being treated at Mass General.

The issue lies with the hotel itself; OSHA cited the hotel for not providing equipment that would protect staff from bodily fluids found on linens and towels, and from needles that have been discarded in hotel rooms.

Local news sources confirmed the OSHA investigation per hotel management, but management denies any of its staff have been working in unsafe conditions.

The union making the allegations is Local 26.

Via the Boston Globe:

The union said it surveyed 23 housekeepers at the hotel, the vast majority of whom said they had seen vomit or blood and had to clean rooms that appeared to have been occupied by a guest who had been sick.

 Workers said they were not given leak-proof biohazard bags or proper latex gloves, according to the report. One said he taped plastic trash bags to his body to protect himself from blood.

 Wyndham management has been resisting workers’ attempts to join a union, Brian Lang, president of Local 26, said, but the complaints filed by the housekeepers with OSHA are “independent of the issue of unionization.”

 “What the workers want is a safe and healthy workplace,” he said. “I’ve never in 30 years of dealing with the hotel industry come across anything remotely close to this situation.”

The hotel  has been fined $12,000 and has until January to rectify the hotel medical waste problem.

MedXWaste offers an OSHA compliance program for facilities that are in contact with hotel medical waste. Our program includes

Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS) management: Access millions of MSDS/SDSs.

Call MedXWaste today at (844) RED-BAGS to avoid hefty fines and maintain compliance.

Medical Waste Removal & Medical Record Destruction

Medical care is essential for the keeping and caring of our communities, and here at MedXWaste we remind our clients that part of that care includes proper medical waste removal. The improper management of waste generated from hospitals directly impacts staff members, patients, and the envionment. Of course, regulated medical waste isn’t exclusive to hospitals and other health care facilities. Tattoo parlors, funeral homes, and veterinary offices must adhere to the same stringent guidelines when it comes to handling their waste.

MedXWaste helps our customers maintain compliance with biomedical waste management, but beyond physical health, we also care about the identities of the communities we serve, namely the sensitive information that is managed on a daily basis throughout the facilities we assist. This information is kept and stored through medical records and other documents that are confidential in nature.

When it comes to keeping information private, few things are more important than medical records. Shredding is clearly the best way to dispose of old paperwork, but how can you be sure those records will be safe, once they’re sent to be destroyed?

Where MedXWaste handles the destruction and removal of your red bag waste, companies like Legal Shred handle the destruction of medical and patient records.

Did you know that medical records are one of the primary targets for identity thieves? Wrong-doers can steal your information to get health services or insurance. Just like your credit history, it’s important to keep track of your medical records and know what your medical provider is doing with them.

In addition to keeping staff and patients healthy through proper medical waste removal, doctors and healthcare practitioners are entrusted with individuals most sensitive and confidential information, which must be handled with utmost care and professionalism.

MedXWaste helps facilities like pediatric centers, hospitals, dentists, nursing homes, pharmacies, veterinary practices, and tattoo parlors handle their regulated medical waste, and Legal Shred helps these organizations protect the identities of the people they serve.

With the right combination of medical waste removal and proper document destruction, our customers comply with state and federal legislation, safeguard their customers health and privacy, and cut labor costs by working with a trusted medical waste removal company and document destruction professionals.

Both MedXWaste and Legal Shred offer routine service to our customers.

Illegal Medical Waste Trade Poses for Health Concerns

The care and proper handling of medical waste isn’t just a legal issue, rather one that can impact the health and wealth of communities around the globe. Medical waste is comprised of many different materials, ranging from needles and syringes to disposable rags, and the processing of this waste must meet stringent regulatory standards for the safe handling of infectious and red bag waste, including precise size reduction to ensure proper sterilization.

In developing countries like Bangladesh, there is an increase in the unlawful trade and recycling of medical waste due to population growth and the need for alternative sources and processing; recycling and recovery of medical waste been detected by government and traders as potential options. Of course, this has led to unregulated recycling, and with the high market value of low cost recycling of syringes, plastics, needle, metals, paper, gauge, and rubber coupled with lack of material segregation, medical waste is being mixed with solid waste, posing serious health risks to the communities.

Despite the unlawful trade and recycling of medical waste, the practice continues for its profitability.

The greatest risk to public health and environment is posed by infectious waste, including body fluids such as blood and blood products, used catheters and gloves, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, wound dressings, discarded diagnostic samples, swabs, bandages, and disposal medical devices.

Improper and illegal waste management is a public health issue; it can lead to contaminated air, water, and soil, which has a direct impact to the environment and all forms of life.

Developed countries rely on incineration or steam sterilization, with the latter being the most common alternative treatment method to incineration. Because steam sterilization, or autoclaving is done in a closed chamber, it does not pose the risks that come with incineration, like air pollution in the form of acid gases, carbon monoxide, and organic compounds.

MedXWaste’s services of regulated medical waste management are simple and cost-effective; we safely and securely remove your regulated medical waste and are in the business to not only educate our staff, but our customers as well. MedXWaste can help your facility get compliant with our OSHA Compliance Program, which includes safety plan building, training for employees on all medical waste removal topics, including HIPAA, bloodborne pathogens and more. What’s more, this can all be done online and is compatible with desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.

The growing amount of medical wastes is posing significant public health and environmental challenges across the world, but MedXWaste is here to service all health care facilities to help reduce the impact medical waste has on the environment and communities.