Benefits of Proper Disposal of Pharmaceutical Waste in Houston and Baytown, TX

 Hiring a well-known team to collect, transport, and eventually dispose of pharmaceutical waste in Houston and Baytown, TX, is the right way to discard the medicines, both used and unused, from a healthcare facility. Pharmaceutical waste is not limited to used medicinal products, either. Instead, many types of waste materials may be labeled as pharmaceutical waste. True, healthcare facilities tend to generate such waste materials in huge quantities as do individual clinics and vets’ offices. Research facilities may also work with pharmaceuticals and discard them when the researchers are done with their experiments.

The company hired to dispose of such specialized waste is trained and knowledgeable about the process, which ranges from segregation, collection, storage, transportation, and eventually disposal. It is important to remember that many types of pharmaceuticals may need to undergo specialized treatment to reduce their potency and risks. Most teams handling this responsibility may also dispose of the following pharmaceutical waste items:

l Vitamins and Supplements

l Sharps Container Waste

l Hazardous Drug Waste

l Non-Hazardous Drug Waste

l Controlled Drug Waste

l Veterinary-Use Pharmaceuticals

l Narcotics

l Non-RCRA Pharmaceuticals

l Creams/Ointments

While a layperson or untrained staff at the facility/clinic remains unaware of the specific dangers of being exposed to such materials, the professional team hired for disposal has the expertise to categorize the diverse pharmaceutical waste, thus ensuring proper storage and treatment to render them safe. The different types of pharmaceutical waste that need to be stored in OSHA-recommended color-coded containers include the following:

Hazardous Pharmaceutical Waste- This category includes the highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) as well as cytotoxic drugs and other materials that require special handling due to their high risk or toxicity.

Non-Hazardous Pharmaceutical Waste- The medicinal drugs that are past their expiration date or remain unused are deemed to be harmless. A majority of these are sent back to the manufacturer or dealer and may not be disposed of by trained professionals.

Pharmaceutical Wastewater- The water used for cleaning the used equipment and storage containers may be tainted with the residues of pharmaceutical materials, making them unsafe for exposure.

Contaminated Products- Some of the items used to handle and distribute pharmaceutical products, such as gloves and masks, are also regarded as contaminated and require proper disposal instead of being thrown into the trash.

The procedure of disposal is not the same for all materials, even if they happen to be pharmaceuticals. Some of the most common methods of disposal include the following:

l Drug Take-Back Programs

l Mail-Back Envelopes

l Licensed Waste Disposal Companies

l Incineration

l Autoclaving

l Chemical Disinfection

l Secure Landfilling

l Rendering the waste material inert and ineffective

Moreover, such teams are responsible for the proper disposal of waste materials generated by healthcare facilities, also deal with biohazards, and are responsible for proper medical waste collection in Houston and Pasadena, TX, as well. Such waste materials include sharps, regulated medical waste (RMW), trace chemotherapy waste, pathological waste, infectious waste, and APHIS waste. The best disposal services not only ensure the safety of the community and public, but also comply with the regulatory standards recommended by OSHA and EPA.