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IDEAS THAT WORK
EASY DRUG DISPOSAL A system of clearly labeled
bins directs staff to put different kinds of drug waste
where they belong. Wasted epinephrine goes in the
small red containers (below) and hazardous waste products go in the black containers.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Make Drug Disposal Easier for Your Staff
H
ow do you dispose of unused portions of single-use med
vials after procedures? We used to pour ours down the drain
or into garbage bags. Now we've come up with a better solution. To
divide our leftover-but-unusable drugs according to whether they constitute hazardous waste, we installed 4 boxes in each OR:
• Big red. Sharps, scalpels, needles.
• Small red. Waste epinephrine.
• Black. Hazardous waste products, such as propofol that remains in a vial.
• Green. Empty glass containers.
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2013
