This article will discuss about all that you need to know about how to get rid of your medical disposal in the right way.
When you are working under a medical related company such as pharmacies, clinics, or even hospitals, there are bound to be a medication that could no longer be consumed any more. This situation will lead the medicine owner to dispose it as it took up the space and no longer has a use in the premise.
However, can they just dispose the medication at any place such as the dumpster or garbage facility? No worries, we will discuss about this issue regarding medical disposal so that you will be more aware about it.
Medical disposal is regarded as a safe and environmentally protective way to dispose any unused or unwanted medications. Furthermore, you should not try to use any medications which have already passed its expiry date. Thus, it is necessary to promote a right way to dispose it in order to make sure that the medical waste does not get washed away in the oceans.
When did it started?
The awareness started in the early 1980’s after few countries found out that medical wastes which are flushed from the toilet were washing up on several beaches. In America, they have enacted The Medical Waste Tracking Act (MWTA) of 1988.
After the act expires on 1991, each states took on the role of regulating medical waste properly according to the guidance from the two year program.
Why Is it Important?
A proper way to do a medical disposal are essential for the ecosystem and for human’s safety as well. There are several medication that will let out a chemical reaction that may harm the environment when it is not disposed correctly. Thus, you should not willy-nilly throw the medicine in your bathroom sink.
The active ingredients which is contained in the medication may eventually be leaked into surface water and it will contaminate the environment. It will also cause some dire health hazards to people or animals who accidentally ingested these medications.
How to dispose it safely?
Each type of medication has their own specific way to dispose it in order to make sure that the environment is taken care of. Lets discuss about which method of medical disposal is assigned to a certain type of medication:
- Tablet / Capsule = Incineration
- Liquid / Mixture / Syrup = Incineration
- Eye / Ear / Nasal Drops = Incineration
- Cream / Ointment / Gel / Paste = Incineration
- Patch = Incineration
- Supository / Pessary = Incineration
- Prefilled injection with or without needle / Vial / Ampoule = Incineration
- Metered dose inhaler / Nasal spray = Normal waste in the garbage
- Non-Metered dose inhaler / Nasal spray = Incineration
- Implant = Incineration
As you can see from above methods, almost all types of medications can only be disposed via. Incineration except for metered dose inhaler. If it is other type of medications, they need to bring the medical wastes to their respective pharmacy, clinic, or hospitals so that they can assist you on a proper medical disposal.
It was reported in 2010 that the Pharmaceutical Services Division in the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) have implemented an initiative called “Return Your Medicines Program”, where patients can give back their unused or excess medicines to any pharmaceutical organizations so that it can be safely disposed.
How to reduce medical waste?
For pharmaceutical companies who owns a lot of expired medications and do not want the same thing to happen again, you need to make sure to always check the expiry date of medications so that it will not be wasted.
Furthermore, you need to organize a system such as First in First Out (FIFO) method so that you can keep track of which medication is reaching their expiry date. Lastly, you need to make sure that your pharmaceutical company does not overstock in order to avoid more medical wastes.
That is all you need to know about medical disposal of any type of medications. If you are looking for an organization that can do these medical disposal for you, do contact us and we can help to dispose your medical disposal properly.
