Rockland County, NY & Lake Forest, Ill., April 20, 2010 / Nyack Hospital today announced a new program that is helping it

The need to understand safe and compliant methods of disposal is more important than ever. In 2009, at least 10 states passed or were discussing pharmaceutical waste legislation. In January, Illinois adopted the Safe Pharmaceuticals Disposal Act, and California has “no-flush” laws in place. Legislation in New York is pending while the New York State Attorney General and the Department of Environmental Conservation increase investigations of current hospital programs and policies. In 2009, five bills were also introduced at the federal level to regulate drug disposal.

The Associated Press two years ago reported the detection of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water that serves 41 million Americans. This result may not seem surprising when one considers that between 1993 and 2009, more than 1,500 drugs were approved by the FDA, and that hospitals are large users of pharmaceuticals for patient care. The average hospital pharmacy formulary contains between 2,000 and 5,000 drugs

“At Nyack Hospital, we have an extensive sorting process because pharmaceutical waste in hospitals must be characterized, segregated, and transported. Items such as packaging, wrapping and applicators must also undergo sorting. Many of these common pharmaceuticals used in hospitals, such as blood thinners like coumadin and nicotine patches, are then used in thousands of homes in Rockland County. Nyack Hospital follows the state Department of Environmental Conversation guidelines and provides extensive training for nursing and pharmacy staff to show our patients in the Hudson Valley the safe and compliant way to dispose of medications. With Stericycle’s Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance program we believe we are ahead of the compliance curve and doing what’s right for our community,” said Joseph Pinto, R. Ph, Pharmacy Director.

the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) gave the EPA authority to regulate hazardous materials, including pharmaceutical waste. There are also 21 Joint Commission Standards that drive minimize the impact of pharmaceuticals on the nation’s public water supply.

Many hospitals are just beginning to understand how to manage the process. “ Stericycle uses reusable containers and helps confirm the hazardous status of pharmaceutical waste. We feel confident that we are making a positive, long-term impact on the environment and responsibly segregating pharmaceutical waste in a cost effective manner,” concluded Mr. Pinto.