New Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals Rule

New Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals Rule

Significant Changes Coming: Health care facilities that provide a host of health care-related services or distribute, sell, or dispense pharmaceuticals1 will need to learn a whole new set of regulations thanks to a finalized new rule promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The new rule revises management standards for hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (HWPs) for health care facilities, including nursing, skilled nursing, and inpatient hospice facilities, more than three years following the close of comments for the EPA’s initial proposed rule. The revised regulations will take effect six months following publication in the Federal Register.2  More