The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking input on a new rule that would ban healthcare facilities from flushing hazardous pharmaceuticals down toilets, according to an article on the Hospitals and Health Networks websites.
For healthcare facilities using the disposal method, significant changes may be required if the rule is enacted, the article said.
The EPA estimates that the proposal is projected to prevent the flushing of more than 6,400 tons of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals annually.
Though the new stricter rules apply to the roughly 20 percent of hazardous drugs that are not eligible for manufacturers’ credit, the EPA encourages facilities to apply the rules to all hazardous waste pharmaceuticals.
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