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Pharmaceutical Drug Waste

Definition

Pharmaceuticals are defined by the State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) as any drug or dietary supplement for use by humans or other animals. Pharmaceuticals include, but are not limited to: prescription drugs, dietary supplements, over the counter drugs, homeopathic drugs, compounded drugs, investigational new drugs, and clean-up materials from spills of pharmaceuticals.

Proper management and disposal of pharmaceutical waste can greatly help reduce potential hazards to both the environment and employees. Pharmaceutical liquids and solids can become waste when the original material becomes unwanted, when they can no longer be administered to a patient, are no longer viable for research, or when they are produced in solutions with other chemicals.

Pharmaceutical waste cannot be disposed of down the drain. Refer to MSU’s Drain Disposal policy. All pharmaceutical liquids and solids must be disposed of through the EHS Hazardous Waste program.

Container Type

All liquid and solid pharmaceutical waste must be collected in black pharmaceutical waste containers. Pharmaceutical waste containers are available for purchase through University Stores in Spartan Marketplace. MSU EHS does not provide replacement pharmaceutical waste containers, so please have a new container on hand prior to disposal.

Examples of liquid and solid pharmaceutical waste can include, but is not limited to vaccine vials, expired or unwanted materials in the original container, ampules, IVs, bottles, and tubing, non-empty syringes, and heavily soiled items such as those utilized to clean up a pharmaceutical drug spill.

One large and one small black and white plastic pharmaceutical containers with MSU Pharmaceutical Waste label

Red medical waste sharps containers must not be used for pharmaceutical drug waste.

When reusing empty containers for solutions of pharmaceutical drug waste, they must be compatible with the type of chemical waste stored in them. Empty reagent bottles can be used for chemical waste collection after following the Empty Bottle guidance in the Waste Section of the EHS website.

Although EHS does not maintain a list of compatible materials, in general hazardous drug waste solutions can be stored in glass and plastic containers. However, do not store liquid waste in containers that previously held solids, as they will leak. Container compatibility information is also available on Safety Data Sheets. EHS provides 5-gallon high density polyethylene (HDPE) carboys for liquid hazardous waste storage, which are proven to be compatible with a variety of waste types.

Former ethanol bottle with label completely defaced, the words “Hazardous Waste” on the bottle, and a MSU Waste Tag attached.EHS provided 5-gallon carboy with the words hazardous waste on the label and a MSU Waste Tag attached.

Storage

Waste containers must be kept free of any liquids or residue on their exteriors. EHS Hazardous Waste Staff will reject any container with liquid or residue on the exterior until it has been cleaned.

  • All container lids MUST be closed once requested a Hazardous Waste Request has been submitted to EHS.
  • Do not overfill containers. When the container is full, seal and request disposal through the EHS Hazardous Waste Program.

MSU Waste Tag Required

Yes - A MSU Waste Tag is required for any pharmaceutical drug waste not contained in a pharmaceutical waste container.

No - A MSU Waste Tag is not needed when submitting pharmaceutical drug waste in the pharmaceutical waste containers.

MSU Waste Tags must be directly affixed to the waste container either with string, a twist tie, chain and clipboard, rubber band, or tape. MSU Waste Tags are provided by EHS and can be requested through an EHS Hazardous Waste Request.

Labeling

Pharmaceutical Waste Containers

When using black pharmaceutical containers, they must be labeled with the EHS Hazardous Waste Pharmaceutical label.

Orange and White label with “Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals at top

Pharmaceutical Drug Solutions

A MSU Waste Tag must be filled out and completed for solutions of pharmaceutical drug waste that are not in the original manufacturer’s container.

The contact information at the top of the MSU Waste Tag is needed to identify where the hazardous waste was generated, the container size and type, and who to contact with questions regarding the waste container.

All chemical constituents must be accounted for on the MSU Waste Tag. Chemical names must be printed legibly, in English, and with no abbreviations. The amount of chemical constituents can be captured by either using percentages up to 100%, or by units of volume. Either way, these need to match the amount of waste in the container when EHS arrives to pick up the material. Inaccuracies and discrepancies on the MSU Waste Tag can result in the waste being rejected by the EHS Hazardous Waste Staff for safety and compliance reasons. For aqueous solutions, the check box for “Water Balance” can be used to account for the remaining percentages or volume. Chemical constituents must be identified on the MSU Waste Tag as they are added to the container, as guessing the contents of a full container creates safety and compliance violations.

Review and check all applicable potential hazards at the bottom of the MSU Waste Tag each time when adding waste to the container. The color and consistency section can be completed when the container is full, or when approaching the 90-Day storage limit.

Guidance on how to accurately fill out the MSU Waste Tag can be found in the Waste Section of the EHS website.

Submit Hazardous Waste Request

When the container is full or close to the 90-day accumulation limit, submit a Hazardous Waste Request via the EHS Safety Portal as follows:

  • EHS Website: ehs.msu.edu
  • Log in to the Safety Portal through a preferred web browser using your MSU Net ID and EBS Password
  • Select Hazardous Waste Request
  • Pharmaceutical Waste, Drugs is found under the Common Process category