Find out how you should dispose of different types of drug waste.
There are all sorts of pharmaceutical waste, and it can be tough to know how to handle all of them. However, it is important to keep them from being tossed into the wrong places where they can threaten our environment. Proper disposal is also important because there are certain regulations in place at the federal, state, and local levels, and these regulations must be followed at all times. Therefore, we will be reviewing the proper disposal methods for these kinds of waste. Find out how you should dispose of different types of drug waste.
Over-the-Counter Drug Waste
Medications that you can get over the counter don’t require any prescriptions to purchase. With that said, disposing of them the right way is still crucial for preventing the pollution of our waters. You can’t just place them in trash bins or dispose of them via toilets because these drugs can get into landfills and cause problems.
The best way to handle disposal of over-the-counter drug waste is with the help of either a drop-off receptacle or a mailback envelope.
Non-Hazardous and Non-Controlled Prescription Drug Waste
These kinds of drug waste get used to treat various conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, and unfortunately, they also put our landfills and waters at risk. What’s more, is that they are hazardous to people who are not prescribed these drugs.
Some states have even gone as far as to forbid placing these types of drugs in trash bins. Medical waste incinerators are your go-to resource for disposing of waste such as this.
Controlled Drug Waste
Controlled drug waste can be placed into five separate schedules based on how abusable it can be or what the acceptable medical uses are. Schedule one includes substances like ecstasy and heroin, which are abused easily and aren’t accepted for medical use. Schedule two includes easily abusable prescription drugs, like hydrocodone. The list goes on until we get to schedule five, which is the most tame. Schedule five has drugs that aren’t likely going to get abused.
The Drug Enforcement Agency, also known as the DEA, plays a big role in the managing of controlled drug waste. You can only dispose of inventory controlled drugs via special means, like the use of reverse distributors.
For prescribed controlled drugs, only the one who is prescribed the drugs can dispose of them. Consumers can choose from two options. They can dispose of the drugs they have via proper disposal receptacles that are compliant with DEA standards, or they can get a mailback envelope that complies with the DEA.
Choose AEG Environmental as Your Medical Waste Management Company
Let AEG Environmental dispose of the drugs at your facility properly. We segregate and dispose of black box waste. We dispose of non hazardous components and drug packaging as well as DEA drug disposal. If you need to handle drug or pharmaceutical wastes, call us today and get the best waste management services available!