PharmEcology Associates, LLC announces a wide-ranging initiative to help organizations more effectively and efficiently manage their pharmaceutical waste. These enhancements come as the general public is becoming increasingly sensitive to the issue of drugs in our water supply and as many organizations accelerate efforts to implement pharmaceutical waste management solutions.

The following enhancements to the PharmE® Waste Wizard and to the PharmE® Inventory Analysis are being made available today:

• Specific color-coded container recommendations for the disposal of pharmaceutical waste, based upon proven solutions already being offered by industry leaders Covidien and Veolia Environmental Solutions;
  
  
• The segregation of hazardous pharmaceutical waste into separate containers needed to satisfy the U.S. Department of Transportation's shipping requirements for hazardous materials (with specific shipping names to be provided in the near future);
  
  
• Identification of specific pharmaceutical-related products which can be safely disposed of down the drain or in a landfill, making it more cost effective for organizations to prevent drugs from entering our water supplies;
  
  
• The identification of chemotherapy drugs to help organizations properly manage trace chemotherapy waste;
  
  
• Notification of drugs which represent potential OSHA hazards, for evaluation within the organization’s specific environment.

Based upon conversations with the U.S. Department of Transportation and Veolia, 97% of a typical hospital’s hazardous pharmaceutical waste can be commingled under a hazardous waste profile as flammable toxics. The remaining 3% include corrosive bases, corrosive acids, and oxidizers. Our recommendations call for segregating these waste streams and we will be providing the exact shipping names in the near future.

PharmEcology is also pleased to announce that we are working with MSDSonline, a leading provider of Environmental Health and Safety compliance solutions, to provide access to MSDS documents for most hazardous pharmaceuticals, including both federally hazardous pharmaceuticals under RCRA and our broader identification of PharmE Hazardous® pharmaceuticals. PharmEcology and MSDSonline have already begun to compile this database and expect it to be available to our clients in the second quarter of 2009.

The PharmE® Waste Wizard and the PharmE® Inventory Analysis

These enhancements have been incorporated into PharmEcology's existing services. The PharmE® Waste Wizard now includes the example container recommendations and indicates if a non-hazardous product should be managed as pharmaceutical waste or if it can be disposed of in a landfill or down the drain. The Wizard also highlights chemotherapy drugs as well as drugs which represent a potential OSHA hazard.

These enhancements are also available in the detail results presented in our PharmE® Inventory Analysis. In addition, the Inventory Analysis includes separate management reports identifying hazardous pharmaceutical waste, all non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste, and all waste products which can safely be disposed of in a landfill or down the drain. Finally, the Inventory Analysis includes a separate OSHA Hazardous Alert to help an organization identify pharmaceuticals which could represent an OSHA hazard in their particular environment.

Color-Coded Container Recommendations

Our color-coded container recommendations are based upon best management practices and our ongoing work with industry leaders Covidien and Veolia Environmental Services. While each organization may need to tailor these recommendations for state specific requirements and to work with its container supplier and waste management firm, these proven examples will make it easier for an organization to determine how to dispose of all its potential waste streams in the most cost effective way possible.

Our sample recommendations use the Covidien brand container colors and designations, and the corresponding Veolia waste streams, because these solutions are proven due to Covidien’s and Veolia’s prominence in the marketplace. With the exception of red sharps containers, all other colors are arbitrary and not required by law.

Non-hazardous Sewerable and Solid Waste Pharmaceuticals

Due to the increased concern among the general public and among federal and state environmental protection agencies, a consensus is developing to stop disposing of drugs through sewer systems or as solid waste in landfills. While the EPA Office of Water has not yet changed effluent guidelines, we believe moving in this direction is a proactive step that will enable our clients to develop policies and procedures that reflect the highest standard of practice.

Examples of items that are included in the new non-hazardous solid waste and sewerable categories include dextrose, saline, Ringer’s Solution, aloe, bran, fiber, lactase, Lactobacillus species, amino acids, garlic, flaxseed, and other natural products. Vitamins and most minerals are not included in these categories to comply with the more stringent requirements of an increasing number of state disposal restrictions.

For more information, please contact us at info@pharmecology.com., call us at 414-292-3959, or visit our web site at www.pharmecology.com.