Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:04:44 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Re: BBP Waste Issues

From: Patricia Peifer 
Date: 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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