当资源保护和恢复法案（RCRA）于1976年最初签署法律时，它在很大程度上并正确地专注于工业设施产生的一般容易区分的化学废物。在平均工业设施产生的大多数废物流可预测的情况下，来自医院和医疗保健设施的类型的类型和金额更具变化。另外，用于识别，管理和处理它们的协议可以特别复杂。为了帮助解决这些监管合规性要求对一个特定医院和医疗保健设施废物流的复杂性 - 药品 - 美国环境保护局于2019年8月21日通过危险废物药物的管理标准。以下是旨在提供更清晰和一致性在跨国管理危险废物制药的含量：
废物测定
Hazardous waste pharmaceuticals are generated by many different employees working in a typical hospital or healthcare facility. These pharmaceutical wastes can be found in forms such as tablets, pills, liquids, lozenges, creams, IVs, transdermal patches, etc. A fundamental baseline RCRA responsibility requires that the generator of these wastes (i.e., the hospital and/or healthcare facility) make and retain a record of their waste determinations. Essentially, each and every pharmaceutical waste or waste stream needs to be evaluated to determine if it meets the definition of a Hazardous Waste Pharmaceutical or not. A major portion of the new RCRA rule change attempts to clarify aspects of the waste determination procedure for pharmaceuticals, however, this process is still beyond the expertise of most healthcare facility employees. It also is very important to note that the generator needs to apply this waste determination process to all of the hundreds (if not thousands) of chemical wastes and waste streams generated by their laboratory, plant operations, imaging, sterile processing and all other departments in their facility.
Generator Status
Under the new rule hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (including acutely-hazardous wastes otherwise known as P-listed wastes) when managed in compliance with the new rule will not count toward generator status. This change will greatly benefit hospitals and healthcare facilities by reducing compliance requirements. However, it is important to note that hazardous waste monthly volumes from other areas of the hospital or healthcare facility such as flammables, corrosives, solvents and other non-pharmaceutical hazardous wastes, will still be used to determine generator status.
Sewering Ban
一个额外的改变immedia生效tely on August 21, 2019 across all states is the ban that prohibits the sewering of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals (note that the term “hazardous waste pharmaceutical” is also defined in this recent revision of RCRA) and applies to all generators, regardless of generator status. This ban does not affect nonhazardous pharmaceuticals nor controlled substances that fall under Drug Enforcement Agency regulations. However, the EPA has made it clear that sewering of any pharmaceutical waste is strongly discouraged.
这些只是许多改变中的一些改变，危险废物药物的最终管理标准已经阐述，但您必须注意到，EPA对危险废物发电机改善统治的监管变更2017年也在全国范围内充分影响。这些联邦RCRA的每一个都发生变化，相应的（通常更严格）和地方危险废物法规显着影响医院和医疗保健设施危险废物发电机。
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