Medication, proper disposal

Properly disposing of the medication and supplies used to administer the medication. Do not leave the medication at the patient s bedside unless required by the medication order. 

In the past, mercurous chloride was widely used in medicinal products such as laxatives, worming medications, and teething powders. These older medicines should be properly disposed of and replaced with safer and more effective medicines. Other chemicals containing mercury, such as mercurochrome and thimerosal (sold as Merthiolate and other brands), are still used as antiseptics or as preservatives in eye drops, eye ointments, nasal sprays, and vaccines. Some... 

Taping the floor sheeting can reduce slippage, and marking the entrance to the contaminated area with a wide strip of colored tape can help warn personnel not to enter unless properly protected. In addition, contaminated personnel or equipment should not leave the area until receiving appropriate decontamination (9). An uncontaminated health care worker stationed just outside the entrance can hand in supplies and receive medical specimens for testing (9). Additional secondary contamination can be avoided by collecting runoff (rinsate) from the decontamination process for proper disposal. 

Generators. There are many types of businesses and industries that generate hazardous wastes. These include manufacturers, oil refineries, professional offices, commercial facilities such as dry cleaners, service industries including beauty salons, automobile repair shops, and exterminators and medical facilities, hospitals, and laboratories. Based on the RCRA manifest system, these generators have cradle-to-grave responsibility for the proper disposal of the hazardous wastes in the United States. 

At the end of this life cycle, a medical device must be properly disposed following the indications of the manufacturer and the regulatory classification. In fact, an incorrect disposal of medical device could result in injury for the personnel that handle the device during the disposal operations. For example, scaffolds that have been treated with human cells or tissues can be a source of infective viruses or bacteria for the operators and the environment. 

Physicians who have drug problems sometimes use a process called harvesting in order to obtain the medications for their own personal use. Harvesting occurs when a physician (seemingly innocendy) asks a patient to return any unused pain or other type of mood-altering medications to the physician. The physician will tell a patient that this is for his or her protection to take away the threat of accidental use of the medicines by someone in the household. The physician will offer to dispose of the medicine properly so that it is out of the household. However, the medicines will likely be used by the physician instead of being wasted. Patients should understand that since they have paid for (or their insurance has paid for) those medicines, it is unethical for a physician to ask for them in the first place, and such a request should warn of a problem. 

Intended for use under the guidance and supervision of the clinician patients may self-inject if appropriate and with medical follow-up, after proper training in injection technique, including proper syringe and needle disposal... 

Consolidated Diesel of Whitakers, N.C., uses material safety data sheets to screen all hazardous materials coming into the plant (Kohl 1984). The company routes MSDSs through hazardous material and medical personnel during the requisition process. The approval of these individuals is required before a substance is allowed onto the plant site. This ensures that each substance is properly documented and evaluated in terms of its hazardous characteristics prior to its use. This can reduce hazardous waste generation by preventing the use of some materials which would require regulated disposal. 

Caution HCN is a highly toxic, volatile liquid (bp 27 °C) that is also susceptible to explosive polymerization in the presence of base catalysts. It should be handled only in a well-ventilated fume hood and by teams of at least two technically qualified persons who have received appropriate medical training for treating HCN poisoning. Sensible precautions include having available proper first aid equipment and HCN monitors. Uninhibited HCN should be stored at a temperature below its melting point (-13 °C). Excess HCN maybe disposed by addition to aqueous sodium hypochlorite, which converts the cyanide to cyanate. 

Rhode Island law prohibits the disposal of Ni-Cd, mercuric-oxide, and small sealed lead-acid batteries in municipal or commercial solid waste. Manufacturers of these battery types must ensure that a system exists for the proper collection, transportation, and processing of waste batteries (this requirement pertains only to manufacturers whose batteries are used by a government agency or an industrial, communications, or medical facility). Manufacturers must accept waste batteries returned to their facilities for proper processing. 

A critical aspect of chemical industry product labeling is the fact of government regulation of many of the products which are considered to be potentially hazardous to consumers and/or workers. Such products are subject to various federal, state and local laws and ordinances which in many instances mandate the inclusion of specific warnings on product labels. These warnings describe the hazards and inform the user as to proper use procedures, actions to be taken in the event of exposure to hazard, first aid or medical advice, and disposal procedures, all in addition to whatever other material the seller might wish to include on the product label. 

PP has inherent good barrier properties and high clarity, in addition to proper radiation resistance. Properties which made PP one of the best candidates in medical devices and packaging applications (parenteral nutrition and dialysis films, blister packaging and flexible pouches, syringes, tubing, hospital disposables, test tubes, beakers and pipettes). Medical grade PP is used mostly as blown, cast films and also as coextruded layered structures. 

Accidents In the event of skin contact, immediately wash with soap and water and remove contaminated clothing. Destroy contaminated shoes. In case of eye contact, promptly wash with copious amounts of water for 15 min (lifting upper and lower lids occasionally) and obtain medical attention. If DMF is ingested, do not induce vomiting. Obtain medical attention immediately. If large amounts of this compound are inhaled, move the person to fresh air and seek medical attention at once. In the event of a spiU, remove all ignition sources, soak up the DMF with a spill pillow or absorbent material, place in an appropriate container, and dispose of properly. Respiratory protection may be necessary in the event of a large spill or release in a confined area. 

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