1 1 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9
T
he surgical nurse had a substance use disorder, went to
rehab for treatment and was in long-term recovery. All
seemed well, but she was surrounded by temptation
when she returned to work in the OR.
"Seeing wide-open medication waste containers with syringes that
still had fentanyl in them was too much for her to resist," says
Kimberly New, JD, BSN, RN, founder of Diversion Specialists, a med-
ication security consulting firm in Nashville, Tenn.
Adam Taylor | Senior Associate Editor
Smarter Hazardous Waste Disposal
There are safer, more economic ways
to get rid of medications, sharps and fluid runoff.
• REMOVING TEMPTATION Medication disposal systems are simple, such as this jug that has a carbon mix in it, but effective, as they render controlled substances inactive and point-
less to try to divert.
Kimberly
New,
JD,
BSN,
RN