As long as humans have gathered together in settlements, there have been garbage dumps – and the associated problems of smell, disease, and air/water pollution. For thousands of years, we’ve struggled with the challenge of managing waste, including household garbage, industrial waste, hazardous waste, and medical waste. Governments in the United States began taking a role in waste disposal surprisingly early with mixed results:
Continue reading “INFOGRAPHIC: Don’t Dump That! A Timeline History of Waste Disposal in the United States”
Safe Needle Disposal Helps Protect Public from Needlestick Injuries
The number of Americans self-injecting drugs outside healthcare settings increases each year. A 2015 study by Zion Research estimated that the global injectable drug market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.8% between 2016-2021. Many patients need to inject medications when away from home but lack access to safe disposal options.
Continue reading “Safe Needle Disposal Helps Protect Public from Needlestick Injuries”What Is the Difference Between Biohazardous Waste and Regulated Medical Waste?
Regulated medical waste (RMW) and biohazardous waste are both terms used to refer to medical waste which has the potential to transmit infectious diseases to humans. Many states define “medical waste” as any type of healthcare-related waste generated from treatment of humans or animals, even if its disposal isn’t regulated. They use the terms “biohazardous waste” or “regulated medical waste” to refer to medical waste that is subject to specific disposal rules and regulations.
Continue reading “What Is the Difference Between Biohazardous Waste and Regulated Medical Waste?”
MedSafe Milestone: One Million Pounds – And Counting
Since 2014, Sharps Compliance has partnered with pharmacies, hospitals and clinics with on-site pharmacies, law enforcement agencies, and others to make approximately 3,000 MedSafe pharmaceutical collection kiosks accessible to ultimate users for the disposal of their home medicines. Those with unused/unwanted medications can – at no cost – bring their home medicines to a MedSafe unit for safe, DEA-complaint disposal. The program has generated an enthusiastic response: as of December 2018, over a million pounds of unused, ultimate-user medications have been deposited into MedSafe receptacles.
Continue reading “MedSafe Milestone: One Million Pounds – And Counting”
Spring 2019 Scholarship Contest Winners Announced
Sharps Compliance has announced the winners of its semiannual Scholarship Contest. To enter the contest, eligible college students must submit an essay on the semester’s essay topic. Each semester first, second, and third prize winners are awarded $1500, $1000, and $750, respectively.
Continue reading “Spring 2019 Scholarship Contest Winners Announced”