Pharmaceutical Disposal In the News
Adventist Midwest Health goes green to improve community health and safety of staff, patients, visitors
Hindsdale, Ill. & LAKE FOREST, Ill.– February 9, 2010 - Adventist Midwest Health today
announced its commitment to minimizing environmental impact and making good decisions for
the benefit of community health and safety by implementing a pharmaceutical waste
management program in conjunction with the Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance Service
provided by Stericycle Inc. (NASDAQ: SRCL). With this move, Adventist Midwest Health is ahead
of the compliance curve of several states beginning to legislate “no flush” laws, including an
Illinois law that became effective January 1.
A recent study by the University of Chicago Hospitals and published in JAMA1 found that the
American healthcare sector accounts for 8% of the U.S. carbon footprint. The analysis found that
hospitals are by far the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the healthcare sector.
A pharmaceutical waste compliance service helps hospitals address the growing concern of
pharmaceutical waste that enters the public water system. The 1999-2000 U.S. Geological
Survey found 80% of streams sampled had at least one waste contaminant. Waste contaminants
included pharmaceutical drugs such as endocrine disrupters and antibiotics. In a similar study in
2008, an Associated Press survey reported the detection of pharmaceuticals in drinking water
serving 41 million Americans.
The need to address this issue is imperative since the number of drugs in the marketplace keeps
growing. Approved drugs by the FDA numbered more than 1,400 between 1993 and 2008.
With 76 new and first time drug applications approved by the FDA through September of this
year, this number is on track to represent 11% more new drug approvals than during 20081.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) has been in effect for more than
30 years. This Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to regulate
hazardous materials including hazardous pharmaceutical waste. Hospitals, which are major
users of pharmaceuticals, are seeking assistance to effectively manage pharmaceutical waste.
The process can be complex. Pharmaceutical waste must be characterized, segregated, and
transported in accordance with federal and state rules and regulations. The disposal must also
be documented.
"Each year, more regulations, especially at the state level, are enacted to require appropriate
segregation, transportation and treatment of healthcare waste in accordance with best
demonstrated practices. Last month the Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Act began to prohibit the
disposal of unused medication into a public wastewater collection system or septic system.
Adventist Midwest Health is ahead of the compliance curve by partnering with Stericycle’s
Pharmaceutical Waste Compliance Service in the development and implementation of a
comprehensive environmentally conscious pharmaceutical waste management program. As a
healthcare leader with four hospitals in the Chicago region, we value efforts that help keep
our communities healthy and safe," said Jack Durley, pharmacy director at Adventist Hinsdale
Hospital.
About Adventist Midwest Health:
Adventist Midwest Health, a member of Adventist Health System, is a not-for-profit Christian
health-care leader committed to partnering with physicians and the community to provide
whole-person care and promote wellness. Adventist Midwest Health includes Adventist Hinsdale
Hospital, Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital, Adventist Glen Oaks Hospital and Adventist
Bolingbrook Hospital, which opened in 2008 as the first new hospital built in the state of Illinois
in 25 years. Through state-of-the-art technology, comprehensive medical services and wellness
programs; over 1,200 independent physicians and nearly 5,000 employees touch hundreds of
lives and live out the mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. Visit us at
www.keepingyouwell.com.
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 459,000 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.