Abstract

TRECCO, Cecilia et al. Efficient management of waste within the best practices of the pharmaceutical industries. Rev. P+L [online]. 2011, vol.6, n.2, pp.32-46. ISSN 1909-0455.

Introduction. Pharmaceutical industries use raw materials, energy, capital and labor force to make sociably desirable goods but, also, produce undesirable sub products for which, usually, there are no positive pricing,, nor markets. Among those sub products there are pollution emissions, waste waters and dangerous/not dangerous waste material. The volume of sub products exceeds the biophysical capacities for their assimilation and handling, thus becoming a great challenge for industrial managers and policy makers. This also brings a concern about the cost of managing waste. Developing and producing pharmaceutical products is the activity that produces the highest number of sanitary waste. Besides, the nature of these waste sub products is very heterogeneous: Biological, radioactive, pure and acid chemicals, among others. Therefore, strict quality controls must define very well what must be done with the products from every stage of the process, from the research point of view. Objective. To develop a methodology that includes the design of a master plan to manage waste within a best practices framework for pharmaceutical industries. Materials and methods. The methodology included a master plan for the waste management, based on a specific checklist for every section and supported by an evaluation matrix that scored each activity involved in the process. Results. The analysis of the different situations was the standard for designing the protocols for the waste management, meeting the GMP's and current laws' regulations. With exception of some specific adjustments for each sector, the plan will serve as a model to improve this activity in industrial laboratories, university institutions and health companies similar to those analyzed in this research work. Conclusions. Eliminating and destroying waste must be taken as another stage in the production process at the laboratories, so adequate methods for doing it must be established. Quality and environmental management is a dynamic process that must be permanently adjusted for waste management and the commitment in the recognition of clear policies to handle the waste, education programs for the staff, changes in consumption patterns, unsustainable production models and recycling chains consolidation, among other considerations, must be kept in mind.

Keywords : Pathogenic waste; dangerous waste; best practices; pharmaceutical industries; management; quality.

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