How to Prepare Medical Waste
Every doctor’s office accumulates medical waste. Therefore, it’s important to know how to prepare these materials to be shipped for disposal. Depending on your state,the regulations on how to properly prepare medical waste can vary. However, most states have developed detailed rules to control the way this type of waste is managed on-site.

If you want medical items to be treated for disposal off-site, most states require that the waste be made non-infectious prior to its elimination. This procedure can be done on-site or at a permitted treatment facility. It’s important to note that throughout the nation, permitted locations have very strict standards which must be met.
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What Is and Isn’t Considered Medical Waste?
Medical waste is a large concept on its own and trying to remember all the materials that falls into it can be a daunting task. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), medical waste is defined as:

Liquids or infectious materials that have the potential to release contaminants, items that have dried hazardous materials that could be dangerous when handling, or any pathological and microbiological wastes containing hazardous materials or blood.

That definition alone has multiple parts,let usbreak it down.

Liquid or Infectious Materials
Infectious waste can release harmful materials into the air or by skin exposure. You should avoid any infectious waste that can release contaminants unless you are specially trained on how to properly handle it.

Dried Hazardous Materials
All contaminated materials thatwerein contact with hazardous waste. Dried hazardous materials havean elevated riskof releasing contamination and spreading diseases. You should always avoidencounteringany dried hazardous materials.

Pathological or Microbiological Waste
Pathological waste includes waste materials and body parts that were removed from humans or animals. Infectious organisms, microorganisms, and biologicals are categories of microbiological. These wastes are dangerous! You should always assume they are capable of carrying dangerous deceases and infections. Leave the handling to specially trained professionals.

All in all,that isthe definition that encompasses medical waste. Knowing everything that falls under it can be an overwhelming task. Sometimes,it iseasier to remember whatis notconsidered medical waste.

What Is Not Considered Medical Waste
It may surprise you that some substancesdo notfall under this definition. Below are some substances that OSHAdoes notdefine as part of medical waste:

Urine
Feces
Vomit
Nasal discharge
Mucus
Saliva
Sweat
These bodily fluids aren’t deemed medical waste unless they contain blood or other infectious agents.

There’s a lot that is considered about medical waste. Let this blog help you save time, money, and energy, and you can be certain you’re properly separating your medical waste.

Five Important Rules that Make up HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law created in 1996 that protects patients’ health information from being disclosed or improperly used without their knowledge or consent. Companies and their employees in the medical field must understand the rules of HIPAA to ensure that they are not in violation. Five crucial HIPAA rules form the requirements held up by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Privacy Rule
The Privacy Rule encompasses when, how, and what situations allow transferring Personal Health Information (PHI). It also contains standards on patients’ rights regarding PHI and the control they have over its disclosure and usage. This rule also allows patients and their representatives to obtain a copy of their health records and request corrections on inaccurate information.

Security Rule
The Security Rule sets regulations that protect electronic Personal Health Information (ePHI). Any Covered Entities, such as healthcare providers, healthcare plans or third-party business associates that provide care for or on behalf of a Covered Entity, are required to meet the Security Rule standards. This rule comrpomises three key components – administrative, physical, and technical security. These components ensure that patients’ data is accurate and accessible to parties with authorization, prevent physical theft and loss of devices containing patient data, and protect devices from network and data breaches.

Breach Notification Rule
When data has been breached, the Department of Health and Human Services must be notified. This notification must be given within 60 days if the case involves 500 or more people, and a media notice must be made to a local news outlet. If 500 or fewer people are involved, they must be notified within 60 days of the last calendar year when the breach was discovered. Individuals whose personal information was discovered must be notified within 60 days.

Omnibus Rule
This rule extended coverage of HIPAA to Business Associates, the bar on marketers and fundraisers using PHI without authorization, and new penalty levels for violations of HIPAA.

Enforcement Rule
The enforcement rule outlines actions taken if there is a breach of PHI. Specific situations, such as ignorant handling of information or willful negligence, will have specific penalties and can impose high fines.

The five HIPAA rules can get extensive, and managing compliance throughout an organization can be tricky. Improper training and practices regarding patients’ PHI can result in monetary and reputational damage. Becoming aware of the factors that impact a company’s everyday operations is necessary. Regarding patients’ data safety and security, companies should take the utmost precautions.

Remember, MedPro Disposal offers HIPAA Compliance Training and Certification Services.