February 2 is the deadline for hospital safety professionals and others to submit their comments about a proposed rule to ease certain pharmaceutical waste regulations for hospitals.

 

Currently, hospitals that generate pharmaceutical wastes on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) so-called P-list and U-list (e.g., warfarin, physostigmine, and chemotherapy drugs) are classified as hazardous waste generators.

 

But the EPA wants to change these pharmaceutical wastes to universal wastes, which would ensure that larger quantities of hazardous pharmaceutical wastes are collected and disposed of properly, according to the agency.

 

We’ve provided additional details for all subscribers to the Hospital Safety Center. If finalized, the EPA expects the regulation to go into effect sometime in 2010.

 

Steve MacArthur talks further about this topic in this week’s Mac’s Safety Space.