TriHaz Solutions Blog

Pharmaceuticals are an essential component of modern healthcare. They help patients recover more quickly and painlessly and are frequently used to better manage chronic medical conditions. Safe pharmaceutical handling and disposal are key to proper pharma waste management, which is governed by strict and sometimes confusing regulations.

The proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste is crucial for any medical facility, as it ensures, among other things, that you’ve complied with local, state, and federal pharmaceutical waste regulations. The pharma waste collection, treatment, and disposal provider you work with should have extensive experience providing pharmaceutical waste services.

TriHaz Solutions recently attended the 2021 THCA/TNCAL Convention & Trade Show in Nashville, Tennessee. Long-term care and assisted living professionals from across the state gathered for three days of education, networking, entertainment, and awards recognition. The trade show featured 140 booths and as a participant, TriHaz was glad to meet new customers in person and to introduce our company to many other nursing home and assisted living executives. We were able to highlight our services and products, and share customer success stories – like that of the nursing home who came to us for help with planning for  high volumes of waste as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded. 

When we talk about the “flow” of regulated medical waste (RMW), we’re referring to all the steps involved in the collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of RMW. Management of the flow process is a serious and complex undertaking, more so in times of crisis such as a pandemic or other catastrophic event.

Regulated medical waste (RMW) can be up to 100 times more costly to manage than municipal solid waste or recyclables. Proper disposal of RMW is also a much more complex process—and not only because it’s highly regulated by multiple local, state, and federal agencies, including the EPA, DOT, and OSHA. The CDC and DEA also publish guidelines and rules for RMW handling. 

Improperly managing regulated medical waste (RMW) can lead to environmental damage and threaten human health. It can also result in significant financial penalties.

Table of Contents

1. What qualifies as regulated medical waste?
2. The flow of regulated medical waste
3. Sudden, extreme changes in demand flow
4. Importance of proper procedures
5. Proper segregation of waste
6. Don’t ignore risks
7. Who’s responsible?

In normal circumstances, U.S. hospitals produce more than five million tons of medical waste each year, or about 29 pounds from each staffed bed every day. Add in waste from other medical facilities, dental offices, pharmacies, veterinary clinics, funeral homes, and other medical waste generators, and that number is significantly higher. Regulated medical waste (RMW) makes up about five to 15 percent of a hospital’s total waste stream.

The COVID-19 global pandemic continues to have a deep impact on the operation of medical facilities across the country. In Alabama, the spread of the virus has changed how health-related practices conduct business, with many of them shutting down. Some are just now beginning to re-open, most with limited hours. While they are providing much needed services to the community, the re-openings have added to the demand for personal protective equipment, or PPE, for all staff members.

Most companies and medical facilities have voluminous amounts of stored paper and electronic files. That’s due in large part to industry-specific laws and regulations that require files and records be retained for a certain number of years before they can be shredded or otherwise disposed of.

Businesses close for many reasons: an owner decides to retire, sell, or relocate. Sometimes a medical practitioner joins another group or relocates their facility. Today, many of these decisions are being driven by the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought.