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Department of Ecology News Release - April 17, 2008
08-095
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is helping health care facilities improve the way they dispose of pharmaceutical waste to prevent it from entering the environment.
A new Ecology policy simplifies how health care facilities can comply with state dangerous waste regulations and clarifies compliance standards. The goals of the policy are to protect human health and the environment by preventing health care facilities from putting waste pharmaceuticals into the sanitary sewer or trash.
Patient-care facilities work with multiple regulatory agencies for dispensing, storing and disposing of pharmaceutical wastes. The policy clarifies how requirements in the state dangerous waste regulations interact with requirements of the Washington State Board of Pharmacy and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Our state’s health care facilities have unique challenges managing waste pharmaceuticals,” said Darin Rice, who manages Ecology’s hazardous waste and toxics reduction program. “Our technical assistance visits show over and over that many health care facilities are not complying with state regulations in handling pharmaceutical waste. Compliance with our regulations is important because it means less impact from pharmaceuticals going down the drain or in the trash.”
Low concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds are present in the environment. They enter the environment when they are flushed down the toilet, thrown into the trash, or pass through people and animals. Current sewer and septic systems do not completely remove the medicines, allowing small concentrations to pass into the environment.
The Washington Department of Health doesn’t believe pharmaceutical compounds in the environment are likely to be an immediate health threat at the low levels reported. Health officials are seeking more definitive research to determine the potential for health effects from both short term and chronic exposure. Meanwhile, Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are proposing a project that will examine wastewater treatment options that are more effective in removing pharmaceuticals.
“Concentrations of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment are not going away and we think the health care industry can help take a big dent out of this persistent problem,” Ecology’s Rice said. He added that Ecology staff will be available to provide technical assistance to health care facilities on the new policy.
Facilities covered under the new policy include hospitals, acute care facilities, outpatient surgery centers, practitioner offices, clinics, dental offices, nursing units, ambulatory clinics, veterinary care facilities, and retail pharmacies that dispense pharmaceuticals to the consumer.
Ecology has posted the policy and guidance online at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/pharmaceuticals/index.html
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Media Contact:
Sandy Howard, 360-407-6408; cell 360-791-3177; email
srud461@ecy.wa.gov
For more information:
Ecology’s hazardous waste and toxic reduction program’s regulatory information & assistance: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/reg_comp_guide/index.html
Public information about what citizens can do with unwanted, used medicines: http://www.medicinereturn.com/
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
