If you are currently disposing of pharmaceuticals, including dietary supplements, into the dumpster or down the drain, you may want to reconsider that practice. New regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) impact how health care facilities must dispose of unused pharmaceuticals. The new regulations treat some dietary supplements as pharmaceuticals and therefore regulate them as hazardous waste. Additionally, as of Aug. 21, 2019, health care facilities may be prohibited from disposing of pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements into the sewer, etc. This is in addition to RCRA already prohibiting disposal into the garbage or in some instances by recycling. Noncompliance comes with hefty fines.
- Does your company qualify as a health care facility?
- Do your products qualify as pharmaceuticals?
- Is your product a hazardous waste pharmaceutical?
- Penalties and implementation
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