“PharmE Hazardous®” waste classifies products which, while not technically hazardous, should be treated as hazardous waste due to their potential to cause harm. This classification indicates that professional judgment would encourage the management of a waste as hazardous even if it does not meet the technical definitions of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

PharmEcology® Associates used the following criteria to classify a drug as PharmE Hazardous® Waste:

• Formulations containing P or U listed drugs that are not the sole active ingredient;
  
  
• The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Hazardous Drug Alert Appendix A;
  
  
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Technical Manual Section 6, Chapter 2, Appendix VI: 2 -1;
  
  
• The US Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program's Report on Carcinogens (11th Edition);
  
  
• Chemotherapy agents not already listed as RCRA hazardous;
  
  
• Additional drugs meeting OSHA or NIOSH criteria;
  
  
• Drugs with LD50s at or below 50mg/kg;
  
  
• Endocrine disruptors;
  
  
• Bulk powders;
  
  
• Vitamin or mineral preparations that may fail the toxicity characteristic due to chromium, selenium, or cadmium for which there is inadequate data at this time.
  
  

We have also added a new Biohazardous (Infectious) category for live attenuated vaccines, blood products, globulins, and other pharmaceuticals requiring disposal as infectious waste. These will appear under the PharmE Hazardous® banner but with the Regulated Medical Waste disposal requirements noted.

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