Effective August 21, 2019 Federal Law Prohibits Pharmaceuticals From Being Disposed Down The Drain

Posted by donna@healthlawcenterplc.com in Aug, 2019

Effective August 21, 2019 federal law prohibits disposing pharmaceuticals down the drain or otherwise into the water system. Pharmaceuticals include prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and dietary supplements.

Healthcare providers that are subject to this disposal prohibition include:

• Independent dental, veterinary, chiropractic, optical, and medical offices
• Medical, veterinary, and psychiatric hospitals, ambulance services
• Ambulatory surgical centers
• Health and outpatient care clinics
• Surgical clinics
• Chemotherapy clinics
• Veterinary clinics
• Long term care facilities (Not limited to hospice,  nursing, skilled nursing facilities and nursing and skilled nursing care portions of continuing care retirement communities)
• Nursing care facilities
• Assisted living facilities with on-site nursing facilities
• Adult care facilities with on-site nursing facilities
• Coroner’s offices
• Retail brick and mortar, compounding, and mail order pharmacies
• Long term care pharmacies
• Wholesale pharmaceutical distributors

Wastage – Wasting leftover, and unused partial doses of controlled substances (such as a dose that remains in a vial, tube, transdermal patch, or syringe) should be:

• Witness and document the waste;
• Wasted into containers that include absorbents or chemical reactants that bind or chemically alter the contents to prevent diversion and illicit use; and
• Containers should be secured

What About Empty Syringes, Blister Backs?  Certain pharmaceutical containers (blister packs, vials, etc.) are considered empty and exempt from this law if:

• All the contents of blister packs, containers or vials are fully dispensed;
• Syringes used to administer the pharmaceutical are placed in the sharps containers;
• All other containers (IV bags and tubing, nebulizers and ointments) have and as much material removed as possible using practices commonly used to remove that material (e.g. squeezing the ointment tube until empty).  These empty containers do not need to be destroyed or crushed under the current law.

Should you have any questions regarding your responsibilities for the disposal of pharmaceuticals, contact The Health Law Center for a consultation.

Read More At the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy