EPA Clarifies OTC Issues, Easing Logistics Fears Ahead Of Pharma Rule

EPA staff have clarified that under the agency’s new pharmaceutical waste rule, healthcare facilities can manage over-the-counter (OTC) medications as hazardous waste and send them to a reverse distributor, easing significant logistics issues that otherwise would likely have arisen for the facilities, according to an attorney tracking the issue. The agency is allowing healthcare facilities to “overmanage” OTC medications that are often kept behind the counter at pharmacies and usually sent to reverse distributors, along with prescription medications, Elise Paeffgen,...