§ 266.503 - Standards for healthcare facilities managing potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals.  


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  • § 266.503 Standards for healthcare facilities managing potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals.

    (a) Hazardous waste determination for potentially creditable pharmaceuticals. A healthcare facility that generates a solid waste that is a potentially creditable pharmaceutical must determine whether the potentially creditable pharmaceutical is a potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceutical (i.e., it is listed in 40 CFR part 261 subpart D or exhibits a characteristic identified in 40 CFR part 261 subpart C). A healthcare facility may choose to manage its potentially creditable non-hazardous waste pharmaceuticals as potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals under this subpart.

    (b) Accepting potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals from an off-site healthcare facility that is a very small quantity generator. A healthcare facility may accept potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals from an off-site healthcare facility that is a very small quantity generator under § 262.14, without a permit or without having interim status, provided the receiving healthcare facility:

    (1) Is under the control of the same person , (as defined in § 260.10 , of this subchapter) as the very small quantity generator healthcare facility that is sending the potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals off site (“control,” for the purposes of this section, means the power to direct the policies of the healthcare facility, whether by the ownership of stock, voting rights, or otherwise, except that contractors who operate healthcare facilities on behalf of a different person as defined in § 260.10 of this subchapter shall not be deemed to “control” such healthcare facilities) or has a contractual or other documented business relationship whereby the receiving healthcare facility supplies pharmaceuticals to the very small quantity generator healthcare facility;

    (2) Is operating under this subpart for the management of its potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals;

    (3) Manages the potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals that it receives from off site in compliance with this subpart; and

    (4) Keeps records of the potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals shipments it receives from off site for three years from the date that the shipment is received.

    (c) Prohibition. Healthcare facilities are prohibited from sending hazardous wastes other than potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals to a reverse distributor.

    (d) Biennial Reporting by healthcare facilities. Healthcare facilities are not subject to biennial reporting requirements under § 262.41 with respect to potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals managed under this subpart.

    (e) Recordkeeping by healthcare facilities.

    (1) A healthcare facility that initiates a shipment of potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals to a reverse distributor must keep the following records (paper or electronic) for each shipment of potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals for three years from the date of shipment:

    (i) The confirmation of delivery; and

    (ii) The shipping papers prepared in accordance with 49 CFR part 172 subpart C, if applicable.

    (2) The periods of retention referred to in this section are extended automatically during the course of any unresolved enforcement action regarding the regulated activity, or as requested by the EPA Regional Administrator.

    (3) All records must be readily available upon request by an inspector.

    (f) Response to spills of potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals at healthcare facilities. A healthcare facility must immediately contain all spills of potentially creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals and manage the spill clean-up materials as non-creditable hazardous waste pharmaceuticals in accordance with this subpart.

    [84 FR 5940, Feb. 22, 2019, as amended at 88 FR 54113, Aug. 9, 2023]