Long-term care clinics provide a variety of services, both medical and personal care, to people who are unable to live independently. This includes nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities. These clinics produce various types of Sharps waste, such as needles, gauze, gowns accompanying the deceased to the funeral home, and materials used in the preparation room, such as disposable gloves, gauze, and tubing. The best way to dispose of long-term care clinic waste is to hire a medical waste disposal service, such as MedPro. The other waste that is produced at long-term care facilities is listed below:
In This Article
- Pharmaceutical Waste
- Chemotherapy Waste
- Sharps Waste
- Biohazardous Waste
Disposing of Pharmaceutical Waste
For long-term care facilities, the best way of disposing of pharmaceutical waste is by hiring a professional waste disposal company, such as MedPro Waste Disposal. Most waste disposal companies will provide clinics with a mail-back kit to store and ship back pharmaceutical waste. For example, MedPro Waste Disposal offers a Mail Back Solution where we will ship the supplies to you, including a 3.4 Gallon Disposal Kit and prepaid return postage. So, all you have to do is fill the bucket with your designated pharmaceutical waste, package it, and ship it back to us! We will then receive the waste and dispose of it properly to help you avoid fines and maintain compliance with all regulations.
Disposing of Chemotherapy Waste
An example of chemotherapy wastewould be used chemotherapy drug vials that could potentially accompany the person to a long-term care clinic. In many states, this type of waste can be placed in the biohazard waste bins that your medical waste company picks up. MedPro Waste Disposal will provide a biohazard waste bin for the clinics to fill. We will pick it up, transport it, and dispose of the waste accordingly at a designated disposal site.
Sharps Waste
Sharps are considered biohazard waste. Any device puncturing skin is considered sharp and can potentially spread infectious materials or disease. Sharps used at long-term care facilities primarily include needles containing bodily contaminants. Most waste disposal services will provide containers explicitly designed for sharps. This help protects from injuries and avoids further contact. There are different-sized containers for different-sized sharps. A medical waste disposal company will pick up and dispose of your sharps in a safe, controlled environment.
Conclusion
MedPro Waste Disposal provides many long-term care facilities with the necessary waste disposal services to maintain a clean and healthy living environment for the patients in the facility. For more information on our services for long-term care clinics, click here.
Common Questions
- How much does medical waste disposal cost?
- Cost depends on waste volume, pickup frequency, container size, waste type, and location. Most practices pay a flat monthly or per-pickup rate rather than being billed per pound. Typical monthly costs range from about $50-$200 for small practices and dental offices up to $1,000+ for long-term care facilities, with hospitals and large health systems running $1,000-$50,000+ per month — see our full pricing breakdown by facility type. MedPro customers also save an average of 30% by switching from their previous provider.
- Is medical waste disposal legally required?
- Yes. Any facility generating regulated medical waste must comply with OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, applicable EPA/DOT rules, and their state's specific medical waste regulations, which vary by state.
- What's the difference between medical waste and biohazard waste?
- Biohazard waste is a subset of medical waste. Medical waste is the broad category (including sharps and pharmaceuticals); biohazard waste specifically refers to material containing or potentially containing infectious agents.
- Does MedPro Disposal require a long-term contract?
- MedPro offers service agreements tailored to your facility's actual volume and schedule. Call 888-641-6131 or request a quote for current terms specific to your location and service type.
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