Pharmaceutical Waste

Waste registrations

Community Pharmacist should also be aware that  changes in waste management regulations require community pharmacies to register with the Environment Agency to undertake the disposal of controlled drugs on their premises where this occurs. Click T28 exemption for more information.

Community Pharmacies are no longer required to register for a conditional exemption to store waste pharmaceuticals returned from households and by individuals.

Pharmacies are now automatically exempt from the need to hold environmental permits (the successor to waste management licences) where they are storing waste for purposes of transferring the waste elsewhere for disposal.

The conditions that apply include:

  • The waste must be stored in secure containers;
  • No more than 50 cubic metres of solid waste can be stored;
  • The waste cannot be stored for longer than three months;
  • The service is not provided as a waste management service (e.g. you do not receive payment for the service);
  • The waste must not have a flash point of less than 21oC. 

Further information is available at the following links:

http://www.psnc.org.uk/pages/essential_services_waste_management.html

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/MWRP_RPS_004_v2_denaturing_drugs_final_08-07-10.pdf

 

Clinical Waste pre acceptance audits

Click Environmental Agency (EA) to read about about changes in procedures regarding the collection of clinical waste.

You will notice that the changes do not come into force for community pharmacies until 1 July 2013.

You may have received communication from PHS (the waste collector commissioned by Hertfordshire PCT to collect Pharmaceutical waste) about these changes and their offer of help to contractors to prepare a pre acceptance audit of their waste.

NB: You should be aware that it is not necessary for contractors to make this payment and that the PCT will not be making payments to PHS in this regard where PHS letters and invoices have been forwarded to the PCT for payment.