Regulated Medical Waste in the MedSpa Industry

Last updated on October 28, 2019

Aesthetic procedures are having “a moment” right now with Medical Spas (MedSpas) spreading across the nation into urban and suburban landscapes alike. Both medical and spa-like in one, this hybrid business model can include a wide variety of offerings beyond just Botox. Laser hair removal, chemical peels, tattooed makeup, hormone injections, even acupuncture can be found on a MedSpa service menu.

Driven by profit and innovation, such break-neck expansion has grabbed the attention of federal and state regulators. As healthcare providers, MedSpas are held accountable to the same standards as any other medical establishment, including those pertaining to the management of their regulated medical waste. The complexity of these wastes varies depending upon the service offerings, but ultimately all MedSpas will generate ample sharps-category waste.

Physicians, nurses, and estheticians are all responsible for knowing how to segregate and strategically dispose of their sharps, medications and other wastes according to OSHA, FDA, CDC, and state-level regulations for the protection of their employees, clients, and the environment. Membership with the American Med Spa Association provides a convenient listing of relevant state-by-state regulations, where applicable. Training and licensing programs also publish standards to help guide hazard reduction strategies and infection control protocols.

MedSpas & OSHA

As required by OSHA, MedSpas are responsible for establishing clinical control measures to ensure a safe working environment. This includes exposure control plans, HazCom training, and record-keeping of needlestick incidents, to name a few. Keep your MedSpa safe and compliant with Sharps Compliance’s interactive ComplianceTrac platform, which offers BBP training, personalized safety plans, and other features designed to fulfill all standard OSHA requirements for healthcare providers.

MedSpa Sharps Disposal

HIPAA and most states’ solid waste regulations are concerned with the proper handling, storage, and treatment of medical waste, which can prove harmful to patients, personnel, and waste handlers if poorly managed. Sharps Compliance’s customers enjoy complimentary online tools to help maintain compliance with these requirements through their interactive SharpsTracer account, which provides convenient real-time tracking, electronic manifests, and treatment receipts.

Universal Precautions established by the CDC are designed to prevent the risk of infection by requiring healthcare service providers to treat all patients as potentially capable of transmitting infectious disease. OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen Standard requires the use of fresh, single-use disposable examination gloves when administering any medical treatment as well as when handling soiled instruments.

All injectable, therapeutic, and cosmetic procedures involving sharp instruments must follow the FDA’s requirements for the safe handling and disposal of sharps:

• Upon completion of the procedure, empty or near-empty needles and related sharps must be directly deposited into an easily accessible, approved sharps container located at eye level.
• Containers must be comprised of rigid, puncture-proof material and securely affixed with a lid.
• Remove container from service once three-fourths full

Sharps offers a wide variety of regulated medical waste solutions to accommodate your facility’s workflow. The 20-Gallon TakeAway Recovery System includes prepaid shipping, packing materials, and four 2-gallon sharps containers to distribute across patient rooms and consolidate infectious waste. Use our specially designed mounting brackets to keep sharps elevated and your work surfaces uncluttered.

MedSpa Pharmaceutical Waste

Syringes and glass vials containing non-hazardous pharmaceuticals like Botox and Dysport can be discarded only if the sharps container’s entire contents do not exceed 50 mL of liquid. Sharps Compliance recommends operators eject the residual contents of these medications into absorbent material and toss into a red bag (always consult your state’s regulations first). Or, save yourself the guesswork and discard those multi-dose vials via our 10-Gallon TakeAway Environmental Return System.

Remember that disposal of all pharmaceuticals requires careful consideration of their schedule and hazard classifications as well as how they are administered. Sharps customers enjoy complimentary, tailored guidance on these matters through our Regulatory Compliance Team.

Compliant. Convenient. Comprehensive.

With 25 years’ experience in medical waste compliance, Sharps Compliance has affordable solutions for all of your MedSpa’s regulated medical and pharmaceutical waste needs. Contact us to learn more!