From: Patricia PeiferDate: August 27, 2009 10:33:45 AM EDT (CA) Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] FW: [DCHAS-L] BBP Waste Issues Thanks to everyone who responded to this issue. I am still trying to work my way through it and come up with a good resolution. Just to clarify my intent on the sharps, I had not intended to send the sharps to the regular trash but rather after autoclaving to consider them as non-infectious sharps and put them into our normal sharps waste stream. I found out today, however, that Stericycle offers a mail-back program for small scale generators of sharps which is so much cheaper and more convenient than what I am doing now. It sounds like a good, inexpensive way to get rid of my sharps without worrying about violating any regulations. Although it would have been nice if Stericycle had alerted me to this service in the first place. As far as the drug product goes, I too am aware of the concern about drug products ending up in the water system. I always advise the chemists here to segregate the non-protein drugs. The drugs in question here as biohazards, however, are very large molecules, typically proteins. The treatment with 10% bleach denatures them and, to my knowledge, renders them ineffective as far a pharmacological activity goes. I don't think there are the same concerns with putting these in the sewer as with the smaller molecules, although if someone has other information please say so. I did run these thoughts by a Biochem PhD we have on staff here and he felt the same. But what I could do, after disinfecting the drug with the bleach, is to Lab-Pack it... I think our haz. waste disposal company will take it if it is disinfected. I am still researching the getting rid of my solid infectious waste (gowns, gloves, kim-wipes, etc.) and have gotten a lot of good advice from people. I would like to autoclave this red bag waste at 121 C for 60 min printing out and documenting the autoclave cycle record. I would also like to use a biological indicator of bacillus stearothermophilus with each autoclave load ( which will be about once every 2-3 months) then rebag for disposal in the regular trash. Reading through the Pennsylvania regs. on infectious waste disposal, it seems that this would be satisfactory, although the reg. is so poorly written and confusing it is hard to be sure. I am trying to get in contact with someone at the State of PA to see if they will verify this, but I am starting to think I would have a better chance of getting through on the phone to Barack Obama. I'll keep trying. Thank you, everyone Pat Peifer Project Manager, Safety & Training West Pharmaceutical Services 101 Gordon Drive Lionville, PA 19341 Phone:(610) 594-3278 Fax: (610) 594-3005
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