Continued on page 3 Attention Readers ! Are you looking for Products, Equipment or Services for your business or healthcare facility? If so, please check out these leading companies advertised in this issue: VOL. VIII NO. 4 OCT-DEC 2012 s local, state and federal authorities grapple with the issue of collecting and disposing of unused, unwanted or expired drugs, a northern California county has adopted a first-in-the-nation ordinance to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers responsible for the so-called “take-back” program. The precedent-setting measure “asks no less than what customers have already grown to expect from printer cartridges, paint or battery industry stewardship programs,” noted Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. It was not known if the pharmaceutical industry would challenge the measure in court. A Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing the industry initially opposed the measure, saying it was unneeded, would drive up the cost of medicines and would set a “dangerous precedent for a community that is currently served by multiple safe medicine collection efforts. “The ordinance is confusing, duplicative and unnecessarily burdensome on both patients and the environment when clear, safe home disposal methods are already available,” the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) said in a prepared statement. While take-back programs are nothing new — the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s latest national prescription drug take-back day in September, for example, collected 244 tons of drugs from more than 5,200 locations — ongoing local efforts often prove too costly for cash-strapped cities and counties. Alameda County, located in the East Bay region in the San Francisco Bay Area, has 28 drop- off locations that cost the county some $330,000 annually, according to officials. “The responsibility for the bill largely falls on local folks, local police, local public health agencies,” notes Margaret Shield of the local hazardous waste management program in King County, Wash. “We shouldn’t be asking police to dip into their restricted budget to pay for the take-back of products sold by a multibillion dollar industry. We shouldn’t be asking public health departments to do that either; they’ve got plenty of public health responsibilities to do. This is a critical issue both for public health and public safety. The best way to fund this would be to work this into the cost of the product. “We know how to set up these programs and get them working,” Shield adds. “What we don’t have is enough dedicated funding to have enough California County Holds Drug Manufacturers Responsible for Take-Back Program BY P.J. HELLER CONSULTING FIRMS Badrick Consulting – pg 4 HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL & INFECTION COMPLIANCE SERVICES Assured Waste Solutions – pg 20 Clean Harbors – pg 6 INFECTIOUS & NON-INFECTIOUS WASTE CONTAINERS & LINEN CARTS Bomac Carts – pg 15 Daniels International – pg 2 Rehrig Healthcare Systems – pg 5 TQ Industries – pg 16 INFECTIOUS WASTE STERILIZING SYSTEMS Bondtech Corporation – pg 4 The Mark-Costello Co – pg 14 Ozonator Industries – pg 19 STI Biosafe – pg 16 LIQUID DISPOSAL SYSTEMS Bemis Health Care – pg 15 SHREDDERS Vecoplan LLC – pg 8 WEIMA America – pg 6 A SPECIAL BUYERS’ GUIDE ISSUE
Transcript
Continued on page 3
Attention Readers !
Are you looking for Products, Equipment or Services for your business or healthcare facility?
If so, please check out these leading companies advertised in this issue:
VOL. VIII NO. 4 Oct-dec 2012
s local, state and federal authorities grapple with the issue of collecting
and disposing of unused, unwanted or expired drugs, a northern California
county has adopted a first-in-the-nation ordinance to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers responsible for the so-called “take-back” program.
The precedent-setting measure “asks no less than what customers have already grown to expect from printer cartridges, paint or battery industry stewardship programs,” noted Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley.
It was not known if the pharmaceutical industry would challenge the measure in court. A Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing the industry initially opposed the measure, saying it was unneeded, would drive up the cost of medicines and would set a “dangerous precedent for a community that is currently served by multiple safe medicine collection efforts.
“The ordinance is confusing, duplicative and unnecessarily burdensome on both patients and the environment when clear, safe home disposal methods are already available,” the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) said in a prepared statement.
While take-back programs are nothing new —
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s latest national prescription drug take-back day in September, for example, collected 244 tons of drugs from more than 5,200 locations — ongoing local efforts often prove too costly for cash-strapped cities and counties.
Alameda County, located in the East Bay region in the San Francisco Bay Area, has 28 drop-off locations that cost the county some $330,000 annually, according to officials.
“The responsibility for the bill largely falls on local folks, local police, local public health agencies,” notes Margaret Shield of the local hazardous waste management program in King County, Wash. “We shouldn’t be asking police to dip into their restricted budget to pay for the take-back of products sold by a multibillion dollar industry. We shouldn’t be asking public health departments to do that either; they’ve got plenty of public health responsibilities to do. This is a critical issue both for public health and public safety. The best way to fund this would be to work this into the cost of the product.
“We know how to set up these programs and get them working,” Shield adds. “What we don’t have is enough dedicated funding to have enough
California County Holds Drug Manufacturers Responsible
To learn more about how Medismart can enhance the safety and effi ciency of your medical waste system, visit: danielsinternational.com/products-services/medismart
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collection sites and to have the funds to really promote those collection sites.”
Efforts over the past several years to pass legislation in the Washington State Legislature to have pharmaceutical companies develop and pay for take-back programs have been unsuccessful. The measures have been backed by a broad coalition of organizations, including law enforcement, public health, cities and counties, substance abuse programs and environmental and water quality groups. However, the pharmaceutical industry has managed to block those measures, even though similar plans are in effect in Canadian provinces and in other countries such as Australia, Spain and France, Shield notes.
“It’s not something they’ve ever been asked to pay for in the United States before and they don’t want to be responsible for it. They do it in other countries, but here they don’t want the responsibility,” she says. “What they’ve been able to do is cast doubt on the need for the program or cast doubt on whether it would really work.”
PhRMA notes that it is an advocate for consumer education on safe disposal of prescription medications and supports such things as America’s Medicine Chest Challenge and SMARxT Disposal programs, the latter which provide consumers with information on how to safely dispose of medicines in the trash.
The latest unsuccessful legislation proposed in Washington state would have capped the take-back costs to drug companies at $2.5 million.
“If you compare that to the more than $4 billion in medical sales in our state, it works out to two pennies for every container of medicine sold in the state,” Shield says. “Our goal is to take all those leftover and unused medicines and have a system of collecting them and disposing of them properly. Working that into the cost of business and having the manufacturer provide it is the most sensible way to do this.”
In Alameda County, Miley said the cost to the drug industry would amount to about 1 cent for every $3 of pharmaceuticals sold countywide. Those sales total some $186 million in profits annually, he said.
Failure to comply with the county ordinance could result in a penalty of up to $1,000 per day. The pharmaceutical companies have until Jan. 1 to develop plans for the take-back program,
which must include an outreach and promotion campaign. The plan will then be subject to a public hearing within 90 days by the county.
Alameda County’s safe medication disposal ordinance excludes, at least for now, controlled substances while it awaits new DEA guidelines.
Those guide l ines a re expected to address the issue of requiring a police officer to be present whenever a controlled substance is returned.
Congress in 2010 passed, and President Obama signed, the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act to develop guidelines to allow people other than law enforcement personnel to collect the drugs.
“DEA is currently in the process of drafting regulations, but until the
creation of permanent regulations, DEA will continue to hold take-back days,” the government says.
Shield says local officials are “tremendously frustrated” that the DEA has not yet issued a draft regulation. That prompted the King County Board of Health to recently adopt a resolution calling for the DEA to speed up its efforts.
“We’re all waiting,” Shield says. “We can do this collection right now but it will be much simpler, we believe, when the DEA creates a new system.”
She is hopeful that the DEA will allow controlled substances to be returned directly to pharmacies since many of those establishments already have drop programs.
The uncertainty over controlled substances is one of the issues that Shield says is cited by the pharmaceutical industry against the state legislation.
“The pharmaceutical industry, frankly rather than trying to help solve this problem for communities, has just harped on the complexities and tried to make it sound like it’s all too complicated,” she says.
While many push for the drug industry to take on the responsibility for implementing and paying for a take-back program, others suggest that the responsibility should be spread around.
“I’m not convinced this is a strictly pharmaceutical manufacturing problem,” says Stevan Gressitt, a physician and founder of the International Institute for Pharmaceutical Safety,
California County Holds Drug Manufacturers Responsible for Take-Back Program
“It’s not something they’ve ever been
asked to pay for in the United States before and they don’t want to be responsible for it.
a collaboration of clinicians from several Maine universities. Rather, he says, it is everybody — including insurance companies,
physicians, drug manufacturers, pharmacists, and even the public — who are contributing to the problem.
Physicians, for example, may write prescriptions that are too long due to insurance company mandates; pharmacies may automatically refill prescriptions whether wanted or not, and the public may not take their medications as directed or may want a greater quantity of drugs in order to not have to go the pharmacy so often.
“I’m not sure you can say it belongs on any one person’s plate,” Gressitt says. “It’s too complex an issue. There needs to be more cooperation by far than has been demonstrated to date.
“Taking the drugs out of the home and throwing them in the trash or burning them doesn’t solve the problem from a prevention point of view,” he adds. “You’ll just be chasing your tail from now to kingdom come. You’ve got to find a way to cut creating the waste in the first place.”
Gressitt also says he believes that multiple approaches, including mail-back and drop-off programs, should be implemented for drug collection. A mail-back program that ran for more than three years in Maine ended a few months ago when funding dried up. The mail-back program was believed to be the first such program in the nation.
Both Gressitt and Shield say they believe programs started at the local and state levels will eventually lead to addressing the issue on a national level.
“Ultimately that would make the most sense, so no matter where you live you have a safe place to dispose of these medicines,” Shield says. “Right now I don’t see that happening at the federal level . . . The approach we’ve been taking is like many issues, it’s going to bubble up from the local government level, the state government level. Counties and states can put out model policies, prove that they work and eventually we get it at the national level.”
Colorado, for example, has a Medication Take-Back Project consisting of a network of 12 secure boxes for the collection of unused and unwanted household medications. Other states and communities participate in the DEA’s annual drug take-back day.
Regardless of the type of program, there is little doubt that such efforts are needed to prevent drug abuse, as well as environmental damage, according to the DEA and others.
“. . . More than six million Americans abuse prescription drugs,” the DEA notes, adding that “more than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers got them through friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the family medicine cabinet.”
“Too many people are dying from drug overdoses,” Gressitt adds.
Continued from page 3
California County Holds Drug Manufacturers Responsible for Take-Back Program
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Need Help Setting Up Your Hospital’s
Sustainability Program?
— Call Tom Badrick —
Tom is a recognized speaker in the healthcare sustainability field. He has also crafted and directed one of the most successful healthcare facility sustainability programs in North America, and has guided and assisted many other organizations in creating and expanding their programs.
Correction on 3rd Quarter Issue (Article)In the third quarter edition of Medical Waste Management
we published an article titled: LEED Certification … Not the Only Kid on the Block! Above the article title we mistakenly ran the Socially & Environmentally Responsible Farm logo as The Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities logo, which clearly created some confusion. We apologize to both organizations for this error. The logo that should have appeared in this space is as follows:
Introducing Rehrig’s FDA Cleared, 17 Gallon Reusable Sharps Container
17 Gallon
Today, container reuse is the most economical and environmentally sustainable option for medical waste generators. Rehrig Healthcare’s 17 gallon Reusable Sharps Container completes the Sustainability Loop between generation and disposal.
Perfect for areas with limited space, this large sharps container features a wide opening, side-hinged main lid and a transparent sub-lid for more restricted access and monitoring fill capacity. Each lid has a two position latch, one for daily use and a full lock position for transport. An optional foot-pedal dolly allows hands-free operation.
Designed for efficient collection, transportation and storage you can rely on Rehrig for a cost effective and sustainable solution for sharps disposal.
For more information call 888.304.7035 or email [email protected]/healthcare
Do you know what the new pharmaceutical regulations are?Clean Harbors does and can help keep you in compliance.
E X P E R T I N - H O U S E P H A R M A C E U T I C A L & H A Z A R D O U S W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T
No Room For Error
Since 1980, Clean Harbors has been providing comprehensive and customizedwaste management services to hospitals and healthcare institutions acrossNorth America.
Medical Waste Mgt Mag 5.125h x 8.375w Color Advt:Layout 1 7/16/2010 4:26 PM Page 1
Trenton, NJ—A new state law will give regulators the authority to suspend for three years the licenses of health care professionals, waste handling companies or facilities caught dumping medical waste.
Public health concerns over the hundreds of syringes and other medical waste that have been found washed up on New Jersey shores have convinced legislators that stronger measures than fines were needed.
In 2008, Thomas McFarland Jr., a Philadelphia dentist who owns a Jersey Shore summer home, was charged with intentionally dumping waste that caused Labor Day weekend beach closings in the area. He received four years probation and was fined $100,000.
Governor Chris Christie signed the measure into law on November 20th. The new law recognizes that it may take more than monetary fines to impact some doctors.
Mistaken Disposal of Radioactive Waste Caught
Williston, VT—Boston.com reports that The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a warning to a Vermont medical office after mildly radioactive waste was accidentally released to a disposal
company that was not licensed to do such work. The NRC said there was no evidence that the public was endangered.
PharmaLogic in Williston mistakenly disposed of radioactive material before it had decayed to allowable levels. Pharmacy manager Rick Sucese told the Burlington Free Press that the disposal company quickly noticed the problem and returned the material to PharmaLogic. He also noted that this was the first such incident in 16 years of operation at the Williston facility.
Waste & Sharps)BD MedicalCovidienDaniels SharpsmartPCM Medical Waste RecyclingPost Medical Inc.Rehrig HealthcareScott Distribution LLC / Scott ContainersSnyder Industries IncSolutions Inc
Containers / Carts (Linens)
Bomac CartsMcClure Industries, Inc PCM Medical Waste RecyclingTecni-Quip Carts
Containers / Carts (Recycling & Document
Storage)Bomac CartsJake, Connor & Crew IncJedstock IncMcClure Industries, Inc Rehrig Pacific CompanySchaefer Systems Intl., IncScott Distribution LLC / Scott ContainersSolutions IncTecni-Quip CartsToter Inc
Food Waste Containers & Compostable Bags
BioBagEcosafe Zero WasteMirel Bioplastics by TellesNatur-Tec®
Liquid Waste Disposal Systems (Biohazardous)Ansell Sandel Medical SolutionsBemis Health CareCactus LLCDornoch Medical Systems, IncLiquitech, Inc Environmental SolutionsStryker
Medical WasteManageMent
BUYERS’ GUIDEDIRECTORY
2012
CATEGORY LISTINGS
Medical Waste ManageMent OCT-deC 20128
www.vecoplanllc.com
Hydraulic RamAuto-Feeds Materialto the Cutting Rotor
Large Hopper
Low Speed,High TorqueSingle Cutting Rotor
Mind Reader Logic ControlsAdjust Material Feed, RamDirection and Feed Speeds
(Autoclaves, etc)AMB - Ecosteryl The Bell ProcessBioMedical Technology SolutionsBondtech CorporationECODASHonua TechnologiesThe Mark Costello CompanyMedClean Technologies, IncOnSite Sterilization, LLCOZONATOR IndustriesRed Bag SolutionsReGen LLCSan-I-Pak IncSteriMed Medical Waste Solutions IncSTI Biosafe
CATEGORY LISTINGSSanitizing Products,
Hand Cleaners & Dispensing Systems
BioMed Protect, LLCClorox Professional ProductsCS Medical, LLCDeardorff Fitzsimmons CorpDial Corp, A Henkel CompanyEcolab IncGeorgia-Pacific ProfessionalGerm Pro ProductsKimberly-Clark ProfessionalMicro-Scientific® Palmero Health CareParker LaboratoriesProctor & Gamble ProfessionalDisposables Intl (PDI)Resurgent Health and MedicalSafety-Med ProductsSpartan Chemical Co., Inc
Aaqua Tools3233 Fitzgerald RdRancho Cordova, CA 95742(800) 777-2922, (916) [email protected] has been the leading provider of container cleaning equipment to the solid and medical waste industries for nearly 10 years. Beginning with our CartBlaster II cleaning system and now with the introduction of our Tip Too ergo friendly tool, our tools are unsurpassed when it comes to container cleaning technology.
ARE Industries Wichita, KS (316) 943-5000www.areindustries.com
Association for the Healthcare Environment (AHE)Chicago, IL (312) 422.3860www.ahe.org
Assured Waste SolutionsPO Box 536Gastonia, NC 28053(864) 979-2121Tonya [email protected] Waste Solutions specializes in providing personalized single source remedies for the transfer and processing of Regulated Medical and Pharmaceutical Wa s te S t re a m s fo r t h e R e s e a rc h , Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing and Healthcare Industries in the Southeastern United States, with our technology available across the US. See ad on pg 20.
Badrick ConsultingPortland, OR 97220 (503) 539-8704Tom [email protected] ad on pg 4.
Balemaster USA Crown Point, IN(219) 663.4525www.balemaster.com
Bemis Health Care300 Mill StSheboygan Falls, WI 53085(920) 467-4621Nancy [email protected]“Control Today, Protect Tomorrow” with products that collect and dispose of infectious waste. These include our Quick-Drain Liquid Infectious Waste Management Systems; Quick-Fit Suction Liners and Hi-Flow™ and Hydrophobic Rigid Suction Canisters; and Sentinel by Bemis™ Sharps Disposal Containers. See ad on pg 15.
Biomist, IncWheeling, IL (847) 850-5530www.biomistinc.com
Bomac Carts201 Badger ParkwayDarien, WI 53114(262) 882-5000Cindy [email protected] utility carts are our specialty. From Recycling, Manufacturing, Shipping/Receiving, Commercial Laundry and Mailrooms, our offering meets a broad range of uses in many industries. See ad on pg 15.
Bondtech Corporation1278 Hwy 461Somerset, KY 42501(606) 677-2616Angel [email protected] Waste & USDA Waste Treatment Reliable high vacuum autoclave systems processing more medical waste and USDA waste than any other technology. Shredding systems for medical waste and confidential paper. Medical waste containers, autoclavable bags, parts and service. See ad on pg 4.
Century Products LLCGreensboro, NC (800) 927-0981www.centuryproductsllc.com
Class 1 Inc.Cambridge, ON Canada(800) 242 9723www.class1inc.com
Clean Harbors 42 Longwater Dr P.O. Box 9149 Norwell, MA 02061-9149 (800) 282.0058www.cleanharbors.comSince 1980, Clean Harbors has been providing comprehensive and customizedwaste management services to hospitals and healthcare institutions across North America. See ad on pg 6.
Clear ComputingTinton Falls, NJ(888) 332-5327www.clearcomputing.com
Clorox Professional Products Oakland, CA(800) 537-1415www.cloroxprofessional.com
Commodity Resource & Environmental Inc116 E Prospect AveBurbank, CA 91502(818) 843-2811Stacy [email protected]
Copper Development Association IncNew York, NY(212) 251-7200www.copper.org
CovidienMansfield, MA 02048 (508) 261-8000 www.covidien.com
Cumberland Engineering CorpNew Berlin, WI (262) 641-8600www.cumberland-plastics.com
Dan-Mar Components, Inc. Deer Park, NY(631) 242-8877www.dan-mar.com
Daniels Sharpsmart135 S LaSalle St, Suite 2850Chicago, IL 60603(312) 546-8900John Philippojphilippo@danielsinternational.comwww.danielsinternational.comDaniels Sharpsmart Inc is a premier regulated medical waste company dedicated to providing a superior level of service for our growing list of customers. ‘Making Healthcare Safer’ is the philosophy that guides Daniels and the company is committed to developing the safest, environmentally friendly products and services available for everyone involved in healthcare and to reduce risk for healthcare organizations. See ad on pg 2.
Deardorff Fitzsimmons CorpMerlin, OR (888) 582-2700 www.dfcorp.us
Dial Corp., A Henkel CompanyScottsdale, AZ(800) 253-DIALwww.dialprofessional.com
Dornoch Medical Systems, IncRiverside, MO (888) 466-6633www.dornoch.com
ECODAS59100 Roubaix France +33 3 20 70 98 65www.ecodas.com
Ecosafe Zero WasteSurrey, BC Canada (604) 560-5133www.ecosafezerowaste.com
EQ – The Environmental Quality Company36225 Michigan AveWayne, MI 48184(734) 329-8032Bob [email protected] Q – Th e Env i ro n m e n t a l Q ua l i t y Company is the leading provider of environmental management services and offers streamlined hazardous and non- hazardous waste recycling, treatment and disposal. EQ is a RCRA permitted, VAW D a cc re d i te d D E A R e g i s te re d Reverse Distributor and recognized by ever y State Board of Pharmacy to manage your pharmaceutical waste.
eRouteIt, LLC4201 Lowell CircleLincoln, NE 68502(402) 202-2518Brad [email protected] less time working in your business and more time working on it. CRM, Routing/Mapping, Document Management that is seamlessly integrated with your accounting system for complete business management and that is licensed for unlimited users. Designed specifically to address the needs of medical waste transporters and secure document destruction companies.
Geerpres Inc.Muskegon, MI (231) 773-3211www.geerpres.com
J.V. Manufacturing, Inc. Springdale, AR(800) 678-7320www.jv.com
Jake, Connor & Crew Inc1644 Highland Rd West, Unit #2Kitchener, ON N2N 3K7Canada(877) 565-5253www.jakeconnorandcrew.comDesigned and engineered to exceed the demands of the global waste and recycling industries, our containers deliver the maximum level of strength and protection you need. Unmatched in structural integrity, durability and warranty, no container does more for you. With distribution locations available worldwide, we are “Your Best Friend in Waste and Recycling”.
Kessler Consulting Inc14620 N Nebraska Ave Bldg DTampa, FL 33613(813) 971-8333Maureen [email protected] Consulting, Inc. (KCI) has provided innovative waste solutions for over 24 years with services that include: Waste assessments for hospital buildings, the OR and the ER Waste composition studies Garbage & recycling collection contract improvements Green education & marketing programs, including EPP Lean Six Sigma DMAIC projects.
The Mark Costello Company 1145 E Dominguez St Carson, CA 90746 (310) 637-1851www.mark-costello.comCelebrating 56 years of specializing and providing solutions to the most complex situations that have made us a leader in the waste handling equipment, on-site medical waste sterilization equipment and industrial recycling equipment in the market place. See ad on pg 14.
Metal Conversion Technologies, LLCCartersville, GA (678) 721-0022 www.metalconversion.com
Micro-Scientific® Rolling Meadows, IL(847) 454-0835www.micro-scientific.com
Mirel Bioplastics by TellesLowell, MA(978) 513-1800www.mirelplastics.com
Natur-Tec® Circle Pines, MN (763) 404-8700 www.natur-tec.com
NewWay Global EnergyJohnson Creek, WI (920) 988-0686www.newwayglobal.net
OnSite Sterilization, LLCPottstown, PA (610) 495-8214www.askonsite.comOnSite Sterilization & MedWaste Solutions provide safe, efficient and economical customer focused solutions for medical waste generators. We take a customer focused approach to solving the needs of our clients, striving for a customized solution and staying away from cookie-cutter remedies while solving the very serious issues of treating RMW.
OZONATOR IndustriesP.O. Box 26030 Regina, SK S4R 8R7 Canada (877) 662-7555Peter Klaptchuk pklaptchuk@OzonatorIndustries.comwww.ozonatorindustries.comOZONATOR is the most energy-efficient, cost-effective, odorless, environmentally friendly technology available in the bio-hazardous waste industry. With zero emissions, ease of operation, quick cycle time and low operating costs the OZONATOR is the complete solution to your bio-hazardous waste needs. See ad on pg 19.
Red Bag SolutionsBaltimore, MD(877) 973-3224www.redbag.com
Red Devil Equipment Co.Plymouth, MN (800) 221-1083www.reddevilequipment.com
ReGen LLC50 CR 1672 Cullman, AL 35058 (256) 796-7898www.regenllc.net
Rehrig Healthcare4010 East 26th St Los Angeles, CA 90058 (800) 421-6244www.rehrighealthcare.comRHS has introduced the first reusable, Regulated Medical Waste Containers designed by healthcare professionals. These industry inspired 31 and 43 gallon containers deliver real improvements for efficiency, security and tamper resistance.See ad on pg 5.
Republic Machine4104 Bishop LaneLouisville, KY 40218(502) 637-6778 [email protected] Machine’s medical waste shredder was designed and built for medical waste specifically to accommodate wet product and keep it completely contained within the machine. It employs a non-wrapping, resharpenable cutting system to accommodate fiber and abrasive glass and includes a torque-limiting clutch to protect the gearbox from heavy metal.
Resurgent Health & MedicalGolden, CO (800) 932-7707 www.resurgenthealth.com
RouteOptix Management Systems IncKitchener, ON Canada (866) 926-7849www.routeoptix.com
Rubbermaid Commercial Products LLCWinchester, VA (540) 667-8700www.rubbermaidcommercial.com
Safety-Med ProductsBurlington, WI (866) 421-3400 www.safety-med.com
San-I-Pak23535 South Bird RdTracy, CA 95304(209) 836-2310Arthur McCoy [email protected] 1978, San-I-Pak, Inc. has been providing technological solutions for managing infectious & solid waste. San-I-Pak has proven to be a critical component of the patient care infrastructure, especially during times of crisis. Contact us at [email protected] or (209) 836-2310 to find out how we can help your hospital become more financially and operationally independent.
Schaefer Systems International, IncCharlotte, NC(704) 944-4500www.ssi-schaefer.us
Scott Distribution LLC DBA Scott Containers750 Port America Place #275Grapevine, TX 76051(817) 756-6909Carl Bullard [email protected] Containers is a distributor of large volume PG II rated disposable regulated medical waste containers: Biohazard – Red, Chemotherapy – Yellow Pharmaceutical – White, RCRA – Black Available through all major distribution channels and direct contracts. Call us today to help save money on your medical waste.
Q
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BUYERS’ GUIDE2012COMPANY INDEX
PPalmero Health Care Stratford, CT (800) 344-6424www.palmerohealth.com
PCM Medical Waste Recycling6203 80th Ave NorthPinellas Park, FL 33781(727) 547-6277Jimmy [email protected]
PEAT International IncNorthbrook, IL (847) 559-8567www.peat.com
PHS West Inc11283 River Rd NEHanover, MN 55341(888) 639-5438Jacob [email protected] West, Inc. is the manufacturers of the Ergo-Express® line of Motorized Carts and Tugs and Featherweight Custom Linen/EVS Carts.
Post Medical Inc.Alpharetta, GA(866) 330-4845www.postmedical.com
Practice Greenhealth Reston, VA (888) 688-3332www.practicegreenhealth.org
Security Engineered Machinery Co., IncWestboro, MA (800) 225-9293www.semshred.com
Shred-Tech295 Pinebush RdCambridge, ON N1T 1B2Canada(800) [email protected]
Snyder Industries5677 W 73rd StIndianapolis, IN 46278(800) 351-1363Sue Hornat [email protected] Industries offers an extensive line of reusable Medical Waste Containers that is considered to be the industry standard for collection and transportation of medical waste. We offer sizes ranging from 10-17 gal, 20-40 gal, and 115 and 200 gal.
Solid Waste Solutions CorpEvanston, IL (847) 328-5622www.solidwastesolutionscorp.com
Solutions IncLouisville, KY 40241 (877) 228-2901 www.a-solutionsinc.com
Spartan Chemical Co., IncMaumee, OH(800) 537-8990www.spartanchemical.com
Sporicidin by Contec, Inc Spartanburg, SC (800) 762-3472www.sporicidin.com
StericycleLake Forest, IL (847) 367-5910www.stericycle.com
SteriMed Medical Waste Solutions Inc23065 Commerce RoadFarmington Hills, MI 48335(855) STERIMED (855-783-7463)[email protected] www.sterimedsystems.comSteriMed Systems (System70 & System15) are patented clean-air technology systems for on-site medical waste treatment and destruction. The Systems are compact in size and simultaneously shred, disinfect and dewater medical waste using an environmentally friendly EPA registered disinfectant. After the 20 minute automatic cycle, medical waste is converted to benign solid waste.
STI Biosafe485 Southpoint Circle, Ste 200Brownsburg, IN 46112(317)858-8099 www.stibiosafe.comSTI machines are the leading alternative treatment technology for regulated medical waste. Capacity, efficacy, longevity and simplicity are compelling reasons to choose STI. New financing and disposal options allow the operator to save even more over the life of the machine. See ad on pg 16.
StrykerKalamazoo, MI(269) 385-2600www.stryker.com
Tecni-Quip Carts960 Crossroads BlvdSeguin, TX 78155(800) 826 1245Jobeth [email protected] www.tqind.comTECNI-QUIP is a Cart Manufacturer, offering standard models and custom capabilities for the collection of: Waste, Biohazardous and Recycling. Models are available in Fiberglass, Stainless or Aluminum. Please visit our website www.tqind.com or call 800-826-1245. See ad on pg 16.
TL Services, Inc. Van Buren, AR (877) 474-7227www.tlservices.com
ATTENTION Readers!Now is the time to schedule your
4-color logo/photo listing in next year’s Buyers’ Guide Issue. For more information,
please call Rick at 440-257-6453.
S ContinuedUltraClenzJupiter, FL (800) 931-8911 www.ultraclenz.com
UNTHA America5 Merrill Industrial DrHampton, NH 03842(603) 601-2304Bernhard [email protected] www.untha-america.comFor over 30 years, UNTHA has been an international leader in mechanical size reduction for the recycling industry. Our advanced and proven technology as well as a wide range of single, dual and four shaft shredding systems enable us to provide cost-efficient, flexible, custom shredding solutions for virtually any commercial and industrial application.
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Van Dyk Recycling Solutions Stamford, CT (203) 967-1100 www.vandykbaler.com
Vecoplan LLCPO Box 7224High Point, NC 27264(336) 861-6070Bob [email protected] www.vecoplanllc.comVecoplan engineers, manufactures, and provides parts & service on a range of shredders and systems for processing medical waste, destroying confidential records, and recycling scrap. An integral component in turnkey waste sterilization systems, our machines are used to shred sharps, textiles, plastics, and for red bag processing. AAA NAID compliant for secure destruction of paper, film, disks, and hard drives. See ad on pg 8.
WEIMA America, Inc 3678 Centre CircleFort Mill, SC 29715 (888) 440-7170 [email protected] extensive range of machines include s ingle-shaf t shredders, four-shaf t shredders, granulators and briquette presses. A variety of machines are available to handle multiple material sizes and capacity requirements. See ad on pg 6.
Whitaker Brothers3 Taft CourtRockville, MD 20850(800) 243-9226John [email protected] www.whitakerbrothers.comThe 105 Hard Drive Shredder from Whitaker Brothers comes in single and dual stage configurations, with or without conveyor, to meet your requirements for destroying hard drives, CDs, DVDs, USB sticks, cell phones, Blackberries® and other electronic data storage devices. Energy efficient motors for high throughput and quiet operation.
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High-Tech Polymers Resist Bacterial Attachment
Nottingham, England—According to a News-Medical.net report, a break-through discovery in materials science—
new class of polymers—may be the solution to preventing systemic infections related to medical devices.
Employing a rapid throughput methodology to simultaneously screen thousands of different chemistries, Nottingham University researchers and MIT scientists examined bacteria-surface interactions to identify ones that would be effective as medical device coatings.
Applied to urinary and venous catheters, these state-of-the-art polymers have been shown to repel bacteria colonies, known as biofilms, at the earliest stage. Researchers say the reduction rate of bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, is 96.7 percent. Preventing bacterial attachment to the devices lets the body’s own immune system react before bacteria can generate biofilms.
The next stage of this research will be to develop the manufacture of these coatings to enable the performance of these materials to be assessed clinically. The inventors are in early stage discussions with a number of medical device companies.
The results were published recently in Nature Biotechnology, www.nature.com/nbt/index.html.
New Infection-Control Weapons Close to Market
Richmond, VA—Hospitalist.org reports that two Virginia companies have paired to offer a promising technology solution
for preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Richmond-based Cupron (www.cupron.com/), a copper technology firm and Portsmouth-based EOS Surfaces (http://eos-surfaces.com/cupron/), a specialty countertop producer, say that the copper oxide-infused products they have developed have tested 99.9 percent effective against Staphylococcus and Enterobacter bacteria. The companies are seeking approval of their efficacy claim from the US Environmental Protection Agency. Once they have the go ahead, they will market countertops, flooring, building components and furniture, and into fabrics such as gowns, uniforms, and linens infused with copper oxide.
Copper has been known for its health, wellness, and antimicrobial purposes for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Aztecs.
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Screening and Antimicrobial Methods Cut ICU Infections 44%
San Diego, CA—Bathing ICU patients with chlorhexidine antiseptic soap and swabbing their noses with mupirocin ointment may help save lives and prevent the spread of bloodstream infections
caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other antibiotic resistant bacteria.
As reported by Infection Control Today, the findings of a study revealing this simple infection control solution were presented at ID Week 2012. The Randomized Evaluation of Decolonization Versus Universal Clearance to Eliminate (REDUCE) MRSA study was conducted at 43 HCA community hospitals primarily by regular hospital personal, not specially trained researchers. More than 74,000 adult patients at 74 ICUs were involved.
Three infection control methods were compared: Screening (nasal screening, followed by contact isolation if the patient •tested positive).
Target decolonization (nasal screening and, if positive, contact •isolation and decolonization with chlorhexidine baths and mupirocin for 5 days).
Universal decolonization (no screening, all patients bathed with •chlorhexidine for entire ICU stay, mupirocin applied nasally for five days).Investigators found that the number of patients harboring MRSA—
not sick because of it, but at risk for later illness and for spreading it to others—dropped by more than a third. Bloodstream infections caused by MRSA and other pathogens decreased by nearly half.
Decolonization of all ICU patients also eliminated the need for surveillance cultures and reduced the need for isolation precautions. The universal decolonization method is slated for implementation at virtually all HCA affiliates in early 2013.
To view the study abstract, go to: https://idsa.confex.com/idsa/2012/webprogram/Paper36049.html.
Hepatitis Outbreak Investigation Uncovers Multiple Violations at New Hampshire Hospital
Exeter, NH—According to Boston.com, infection control lapses and inadequate security of controlled narcotics at Exeter Hospital may have led to a complicated scenario: a hepatitis C
virus outbreak among the facility’s heart patients; theft of a powerful anesthetic from the hospital’s cardiac unit; and 30 additional hepatitis cases (to date) across 17 states where a 33-year-old, hepatitis C-positive medical technician worked.
Exeter reported the outbreak last June, initiating an investigation by federal authorities and state regulators. Citations were issued and the hospital was required to formulate and submit a corrective action plan.
In September, law enforcement officials arrested David Kwiatkowski, who is accused of stealing syringes filled with the drug fentanyl and replacing them with contaminated ones that were used on the heart patients. The hospital also had allowed Kwiatkowski to continue working although he had open, bleeding wounds, a violation of infection control rules. The hospital was cited for having unclear policy regarding work restrictions on employees with infectious disease or wounds.
The syringes were stolen from the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab between April and May 2012, at the same time Kwiatkowski was employed there as an x-ray technician. When it was learned that Kwiatkowski had been employed through staffing agencies at a total of 17 hospitals in other states (Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania), the full nature of the outbreak came to light. Upon learning that Kwiatkowski has been infected with hepatitis since at least 2010, patients who were treated at hospitals where he was employed were notified for hepatitis screening. At least 30 patients are thought to have been infected by him.
Exeter has submitted corrective policy to US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services along with a statement of deficiencies issued last July. Policy changes include requiring staff members to report contagious conditions such as hepatitis C, and clearer procedures for securing potent anesthetics at all times. It also has formulated and submitted a new policy for reporting and monitoring infection risks among the staff.
The state’s survey extended beyond the catheterization lab and the hospital violations, including inadequate instrument sterilization procedures as well as contact isolation and surgical room deficiencies, were found resulting in additional citations.
Helen Mulligan, spokeswoman for the federal health agency, said the state will monitor compliance with unannounced follow-ups.
Infection Control More Effective When Hospitals Work Together
Pittsburgh, PA—HealthDayNews.com reports findings of a study that shows patients gain when hospitals work together on infection control. The study, which was published in the October issue of the
journal Health Affairs, employed data collection at 29 hospitals in Orange County, CA. Computer simulation was used to test “contact isolation” methods to prevent spread of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.
Dr. Bruce Lee, director of the Public Health and Infectious Diseases Computational and Operations Research group at the University of Pittsburgh, believes that hospitals in the same region using identical methods is key because local hospitals often share patients extensively.
Contact isolation begins with testing all patients for MRSA at hospital admittance. If they test positive, hospital staff is required to wear gloves and gowns whenever entering their room or interacting with them.
The investigators ran simulations and found that when one hospital in an area employed contact isolation methods, the infection rates were reduced at nearby hospitals that did not use those methods. When 75% of the hospitals in an area implemented the methods, MRSA prevalence decreased an extra 3.85 percent over what each hospital could have achieved on its own. The decrease in long-term acute care facilities was even larger, at more than 12 percent.
For study information go to www.publichealth.pitt.edu/news.php?id=341.
British Hospital Study Shows Cipro-MRSA Connection
London, England—According to an article on ScienceDaily.com, a research team led by St. George’s University of London has correlated the use of a commonly prescribed antibiotic with the
spread of hospital acquired infections (HAI) caused by the ‘superbug,’ MRSA. The team also has identified a fast-developing, multi-drug resistant MRSA strain, CC22.
During the 10-year study of MRSA in the hospital environment, researchers noticed that when ciprofloxacin prescriptions fell from 70-100 daily doses for every thousand occupied beds to about 30 doses, there was a 50 percent drop in the number of patients testing positive for MRSA.
Ciprofloxacin is the most commonly prescribed antibiotic in the fluoroquinolones family of drugs. The study findings suggest that fluoroquinolones, in general, help MRSA to thrive in hospitals, according to lead investigator, Dr. Jody Lindsay. It has been assumed for awhile that penicillin-type drugs aid in the survival of MRSA.
Improved hygiene and hand washing had only a small effect on reducing MRSA infection rates. Dr. Lindsay says the most effective way to control MRSA and other hospital-based superbugs is to continue finding alternative ways to use antibiotics, rather than simply focusing on infection control techniques.
The study was published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, www.jac.oxfordjournals.org.
High Compliance Hand Washing Reduces MRSA Infections – Nine-Year Study
San Diego, CA— According to a paper presented during IDWeek 2012, increased hand washing compliance in medical, surgical and neuroscience intensive care units reduced methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection by 95 percent. An article on ScienceDaily.com reports that a nine-year study by
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers focused on so-called “horizontal” infection prevention strategies, rather than across-the-board patient cultures, or “vertical” methods. High-compliance hand washing prevented not just MRSA, but all infections that are transmitted via contact. The approach also encourages patient healing because it avoids isolation.
IDWeek is a new international forum for health professionals of varied backgrounds to collaborate and learn from each other’s expertise. The conference was held Oct. 17-21 in San Diego, Calif.
Hand Wash Monitoring System May Help Reduce HAIs
Northampton, England—A new electronic surveillance system using thermal sensors may help promote hand washing in hospitals, according to an article on the Hospitalist.org website.
Developed by the global thermal technology company, Irisys (www.irisys.co.uk/), the monitoring system consists of thermal sensors deployed throughout healthcare facilities. The sensors detect people’s movements and determine accurate counts of hand washing opportunities, which are then compared to actual hand washing (or sanitizing gel) occurrences.
Hospital Control of Drug-Resistant Organisms Varies Widely
New York, NY—According to vaccinenewsdaily.com, the findings of a recently-released study reveals inconsistencies in hospital infection control that are leading to the spread of drug-resistant
disease. Most impacted are at-risk and elderly patients. Columbia School of Nursing researchers surveyed infection-control
managers from 250 hospitals about their practices for screening and control of multi-drug-resistant organisms. While 98 percent of ICUs involved in the study reported a policy for contact precautions after a positive culture, less than one third placed a priority, or instituted plans for isolation/contact precautions for patients whose screening results were pending. The study conclusions suggest that limited staffing and shift lengths are major contributors to the problem. In addition, the study noted that different sets of recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and other organizations, as well as state laws, play a role as well.
ICUs with mandatory reporting and electronic surveillance systems were more likely to include policies for periodic infection screening following admission.
Pre- and post-laboratory infection test policies varied widely, however. Among the hospitals studied, 59 percent routinely screened for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurea, or MRSA; 11 percent screened regularly for C. difficile; 12 percent screened for gram-negative rods; 22 percent screened for vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.
“Rather than being driven by legislative mandates that are not evidence-based, (multidrug-resistant organism) screening should be based on a facility’s risk assessment, as the epidemiology of these organisms can vary from region to region,” said Michelle Farber, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, in a news release. “APIC recommends that each institution design an HAI prevention program that is effective for their facility and needs.”
The study involved interviews at thousands of National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) hospitals and was published in the October 2012 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. For more information on the study, visit www.ajicjournal.org and Columbia University School of Nursing.
New Study Says Going Green Saves Money
Chicago, IL—With health system costs constantly on the rise, are sustainability programs a luxury? A study funded by The Commonwealth Fund and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
was conducted to answer this question. The research indicates that going green can achieve positive environmental results while boosting the bottom line.
The Healthcare Research Collaborative collected data from hospitals that were implementing energy conservation, waste reduction, and improving operating room supplies purchasing efficiencies. They then used metrics to extrapolate future savings. The result? Savings of more than $5.4 billion over five years, and $15 billion over ten years were the conservative estimates.
Susan Kaplan, JD Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Health and Director of the Health Care Research Collaborative said she kept hearing about health systems that were saving money through their sustainability programs.
Kaplan offered several examples:“Gundersen Lutheran Health System improved energy efficiency by
25 percent, reducing environmental emissions linked with disease while saving more than $1 million a year on its electricity bills,” she said.
Kaiser Permanente reported saving $25 million a year through its environmentally preferable purchasing program.
Dignity Health reported that in 2011 its reprocessing system to reuse products diverted 198,000 pounds of waste from landfills and saved the system $5.6 million.
Kapan noted, “There are many more aspects of greening health care that we would like to investigate – including the extent to which greening activities can reduce disease in the broader population, saving money for hospitals and also for society. It increasingly appears that “going green” not only benefits health and the environment, but saves money. . .”
For more information, visit http://healthierhospitals.org/.
Metalloacid Coatings – A New Answer to HAI Prevention
Besancon, France—French researchers tested the growth of eleven different microorganisms on surfaces coated with molybdenum trioxide metalloacid and non-coated surfaces.
Metalloacids inhibit microorganisms most responsible for hospital infections because of a chemical reaction that creates an acidic pH.
The researchers, from Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, contaminated the coated and uncoated surfaces with two Staphylococcus aureus strains, Clostridium difficile, three extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains, vancomycin-resistant vanA Enterococcus faecium, Psuedomonas aeruginosa, multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii, and two fungal strains of Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus.
They found that the metalloacid-coated surfaces exhibited significant antimicrobial activity within 2-6 hours of initial contact. The growth of non-spore-forming organisms was limited. Spore-forming organisms were completely unaffected by the coated surfaces, however.
The researchers published their study in BioMed Central’s open access journal, Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.
Hospital acquired infections result in an estimated 99,000 deaths a year in the USA alone. Although cleaning and disinfecting surfaces greatly helps reduce these infections, biocidal coatings appear to be highly promising, even for multi-drug resistance micro-organisms and could become an integral component in overall strategy.
Researchers Use Genotyping to Identify Bacterial Outbreak
Greenville, NC—A new genotyping technique used by East Carolina University researchers helped to identify the source of an outbreak of Mycobacterium mucogenicum, according to a
report on ScienceDaily.com.The outbreak, the first to occur in an ambulatory facility, involved
four young patients with long-term implants (ports for administering medication). The patients had been receiving treatments for sickle cell anemia at the facility.
To identify the particular strain of m. Mucogenicum that had caused the outbreak, researchers from the Brody School of Medicine employed a repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (Diversilab® system) to first compare the bacteria with a control, and then to match it with samples taken from examining room water faucets. M. mucogenicum is commonly found in tap water; the investigators were able to make a positive match with samples from the faucet aerators using the new technique.
All four patients recovered after being given antibiotics. A review of clinical procedures and infection control practices was conducted at the facility when it was learned that a healthcare worker had prepared injections at examining room sink counters. The evidence suggests that the fluid bag being used to prepare injections became contaminated when the worker washed her hands. The research indicated that removal of faucet aerators in areas where immunosuppressed patients receive treatment may help prevent future outbreaks.
The genotyping technique is discussed in an article published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
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SPECIAL BUYERS’ GUIDEPAGES 7-14
TOP STORIESCalifornia County Holds Drug Manufacturers
Responsible for Take-Back ProgramPAGe 1
New Infection-Control Weapons Close to Market
PAGe 15
Screening and Antimicrobial Methods Cut ICU Infections by 44%
PAGe 16
Researchers Use Genotyping to Identify Bacterial Outbreak
