Pharmaceutical Disposal In the News
Nyack Hospital is ahead of compliance curve as states pass laws for pharmaceutical waste disposal
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Amy Massimo Director, Public Affairs PHONE: 845.348.2773 Rockland County, NY & Lake Forest, Ill., April 20, 2010 / Nyack Hospital today announced a new program that is helping it stay ahead of state and federal compliance measures when managing its pharmaceutical waste.
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.
In effect for more than three decades, laws like 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 hospital leaders to continue identifying best practices that minimize the impact of pharmaceuticals on the nation’s public water supply.
Many hospitals are just beginning to understand how to manage the process. “We want to simplify a very complex process. We also intend to make a long-term difference in the water quality of our community. 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.
About Nyack Hospital
Nyack Hospital is a 375-bed community acute care medical and surgical hospital located in Rockland County, NY. Founded in 1895, it is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.nyackhosptial.org.
About Stericycle
Lake Forest, IL-based Stericycle (NASDAQ: SRCL) is a leader in healthcare-related services that protect people and reduce risk. With more than 440,000 customers worldwide, Stericycle has operations in North America, Europe, and Latin America. Visit www.stericycle.com.
Safe Harbor Statement: Statements in this press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control (for example, general economic conditions). Our actual results could differ significantly from the results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include changes in governmental regulation of medical waste collection and treatment and increases in transportation and other operating costs, as well as the other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, past financial performance should not be considered a reliable indicator of future performance, and investors should not use historical trends to anticipate future results or trends. We make no commitment to disclose any subsequent revisions to forward-looking statements.
Additional Contact: Kellee Johnson, The Ballast Group, 312-751-3959 or kjohnson@ballastgroup.com