Stericycle

Stericycle began in 1989, and has become a leading provider of regulated medical waste management services in North America, the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ireland, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Japan. As medical waste regulations were adopted to protect the public, we saw the opportunity to manage medical waste for a wide variety of healthcare customers far more efficiently than they could on their own – and in compliance with local regulations. Moreover, we developed a patented treatment process that is safe, clean and reduces the volume of medical waste in landfills. Stericycle’s core purpose is to help customers fulfill their promise by providing solutions that protect people and brands, promote health and safeguard the environment.

Rx Waste Compliance Service
We recognize that healthcare facilities are unsure about the proper disposal of pharmaceuticals. Stericycle’s Rx Waste Compliance Service assures that you are compliant with The Joint Commission Standards as well as EPA and DOT regulations. The Rx Waste Compliance Service is a simple five-step process that includes

1. Rx Waste Identification and Characterization
2. Staff Training and Education
3. Implementation
4. Transport and Disposal of Rx Waste
5. After Care

Pharmaceutical Formulary Characterization

Stericycle conducts an initial waste characterization to determine the appropriate designation for your wastes. As the leading company in processing pharmaceutical returns and recalls, Stericycle has unique capabilities in pharmaceutical characterization of your formulary. Our proprietary database profiles more than 450,000 National Drug Code (NDC) numbers, and our waste characterization includes a review of drugs identified by:
- EPA (40 CFR §262.11 and 261.3)
- DOT (49 CFR § 173)
- National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- State regulations

Once the initial characterization is complete, we’ll implement a process to update your hospital’s waste characterization on an ongoing basis as new drugs are added to your formulary.

Staff Training and Education
Stericycle provides extensive training throughout the hospital as required by EPA and DOT to ensure compliance with the pharmaceutical waste service both during the implementation and beyond.

Implementation Training
For program rollout, a team of Healthcare Compliance Specialists will be on site to provide training to each department, specific to the needs of that department, in a unit to unit and classroom setting. To support ongoing training for part-time staff, employees on vacation, new hires, ect., Stericycle offers an extensive Train the Trainer program with supporting documents, posters, CD’s and other tools to reinforce the training message.
Trainings include:
- Pharmacy Training
- Environmental Services Training
- Train the Trainer Sessions
- Unit to Unit Nursing Training

Transport & Disposal
Stericycle transports filled boxes and drums of pharmaceutical waste to the appropriate destruction facility. Non-RCRA pharmaceutical waste is transported to an incinerator that is permitted for non-RCRA pharmaceutical waste. RCRA Rx waste is transported to a RCRA waste incinerator.
When outsourcing your pharmaceutical waste handling, you need to be confident that your vendor will meet or exceed your hospital’s risk management standards as well as all governmental regulations. The Stericycle transportation vehicles that service your facility must pass routine safety inspections. They always have the appropriate licensure, permits, and insurance; and documentation is always readily available to you. Stericycle ensures the highest levels of compliance, and the least amount of risk for your hospital.

After Care
Upon completion of service installation, our Professional Service group of Healthcare Compliance Specialists will perform on-going follow-up surveys of your facility to maintain compliance with EPA (RCRA) and DOT regulations. Additionally, the follow-up on-site surveys will assist you as you seek to be Joint Commission compliant, and provide a blueprint and documentation of your progress in becoming compliant