Compliance Articles

If your workplace generates regulated medical, pharmaceutical or hazardous waste, having a good handle on the regulatory requirements in regards to handling, transporting and storing that waste is essential. While there are many state and federal agencies that have a hand in regulating this process, the basic framework upon which most of that regulation is based come from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). That means that understanding your responsibilities under the law starts with learning the requirements laid out by RCRA.

For the administrator or office manager who is in charge of keeping all the medical waste management ducks in a row for her employer’s clinic or practice, keeping on top of employee medical waste compliance training is essential to that process. After all, failing to meet training requirements can have consequences. Poor training can endanger employees and the environment, and it can cost your employer dearly should a lapse in training standards result in citations and fines. So what do you need to know to ensure that everyone gets all the training they must have to keep your employer in line with federal and state requirements?

The average neighborhood pharmacy generates a good amount of medical and pharmaceutical waste, and the amount and types of waste they generate has been steadily increasing in recent years as their roles in their communities expand. While those roles were once largely limited to filling prescriptions and selling over-the-counter medications and other health-related merchandise, many are branching out to provide other services.

Did you know that a significant number of hard drives bought on the second hand market still contain personal information? Even despite obvious indications that someone had attempted to overwrite the information. The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires that, “covered entities apply appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of protected health information (PHI).” This means that your practice must have safeguards in place that limit any disclosure of PHI.

Secure management of your patient’s medical records is a process that begins the moment the records are created and continues until the moment they are destroyed. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare providers to regularly shred sensitive documents and proper disposal of all Protected Health Information (PHI) is one of the most vital HIPAA requirements to enforce.

Data security is an important area of concern for medical practices and protecting your sensitive records is required by law. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets forth guidelines for protecting Protected Health Information (PHI) in the HIPAA Privacy Rule. PHI is defined as information, including demographic data, that is used to identify a patient or provide health care services or health care coverage. Medical histories, test results, insurance information— all individually identifiable health information is included.

As a hazardous waste generator, you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with state and federal regulations and determining your generator classification. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established three categories of generators in its hazardous waste generator regulations:

The entire hazardous waste identification process can be confusing, especially when it comes to understanding the definition of hazardous waste exclusions. We’ve put together this list to help you understand the “mixture” and “derived-from” rules and take advantage of ways to reduce your regulatory burden and hopefully, streamline waste management at your facility.

There is enough inherent risk in the hazardous waste handling process without making things worse by mismanagement or non-compliance. If you don’t take the management of hazardous waste at your facility seriously, there could be many risky situations as a result. While some waste management requirements only apply to small and large quantity generators of hazardous waste, all hazardous waste generators should follow preventive measures and maintain compliance with state and federal regulations. If not, generators could face these risks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a comprehensive regulatory program in 1976 to ensure that hazardous waste is managed correctly from the time it is created, through transport, treatment, storage, and until it is disposed. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) provides the framework for hazardous waste management and qualified states are authorized to administer and enforce the RCRA program within the state.

It’s important that you manage your hazardous waste in accordance with all state and federal regulations. The degree of regulation that applies is dependent on the amount of waste you produce; however, anyone who generates, accumulates, stores, transports, or treats hazardous waste must receive training. When rules change, updated training should be provided. Your hazardous waste personnel are required to complete appropriate training to become familiar with proper hazardous waste management as well as emergency procedures for wastes handled at your facility.