Checklist template

Sharps and medical waste handling for pharmacies

A ready-to-use checklist with 101 items in 6 sections, covering Sharps containers, Returned medications, Waste streams, Haulers, Exposure response, Records. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 101 Items
  • 85 Yes / No checks
  • 5 Scored ratings
  • 110 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Sharps containers 18 items

  1. A sharps container is within arm's reach of each immunization chair Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Sharps containers are rigid, puncture-resistant and closable, with the biohazard symbol Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Each sharps container in use is below its fill line Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Sharps containers found filled above the fill line Number
  5. Sharps containers are mounted on the wall or held in a stable bracket, not left loose on a counter Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The opening of each mounted container is at a height the immunizer can see into Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Containers in the consultation room are out of reach of children Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Needles are dropped into the container immediately after injection, without recapping Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Safety-engineered needles or syringes are the only type stocked for injections Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The needle safety shield is activated before disposal, on the injections observed Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Full containers are locked closed before they are moved Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Closed containers awaiting pickup are stored in a designated area away from the public Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The storage area for full containers is not a food or medication storage area Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A spare empty container is on hand for each location in use Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A portable sharps container with a closing lid is used for off-site clinics Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Lancets from point-of-care testing (glucose, cholesterol, strep) go into a sharps container Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Nothing other than sharps (gloves, gauze, packaging) was seen in the containers Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Condition and placement of sharps containers Rating
    • All within reach, mounted and below the fill line 5 pts
    • One container misplaced or near full 3 pts
    • Overfilled or missing containers 1 pt

2. Returned medications 18 items

  1. Take-back service offered to patients for unwanted medications Choice
    • Kiosk
    • Mail-back envelopes
    • Kiosk and mail-back envelopes
    • None
  2. The take-back kiosk is bolted to the floor or wall Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The kiosk is within sight of the pharmacy counter Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The kiosk is locked, with the key held by a pharmacist Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The kiosk slot is locked when the pharmacy is closed Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A sign on the kiosk lists what is not accepted (sharps, aerosols, inhalers, chemotherapy drugs) Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Employees do not handle, count or sort medications that patients put in the kiosk Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The inner liner is removed and sealed by two employees Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The liner serial number is recorded when the liner is installed Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The liner serial number is recorded again when the liner is removed Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Sealed liners are shipped or collected within the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Sealed liners waiting for pickup are stored in a locked area Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Medications handed over the counter by patients are placed in the take-back container, not in pharmacy stock Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Sharps returned by patients are accepted only in a closed sharps container, where the store offers the service Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Patients bringing loose needles are given or sold a sharps container rather than having staff handle the needles Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Returned fentanyl patches and other high-risk returns follow the procedure set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Date the take-back liner was last changed Date
  18. Control of patient-returned medications Rating
    • Secure kiosk with liners tracked 5 pts
    • Kiosk in use with gaps in liner records 3 pts
    • Returns accepted with no control 1 pt

3. Waste streams 19 items

  1. Waste containers in the dispensary are labeled by stream (regular trash, pharmaceutical waste, hazardous pharmaceutical waste, sharps, confidential paper) Yes / No 1 pt
  2. A chart at the waste station shows which products go in which container Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Drugs listed as hazardous waste by the waste vendor or local regulation go into their own container Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The dispensing system or the shelf label flags drugs that need hazardous disposal Yes / No 1 pt
  5. No pharmaceutical waste is poured down the sink or flushed Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Hazardous drug waste from handling chemotherapy tablets goes into the designated container Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The counting tray used for hazardous drugs is dedicated to them and labeled Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Aerosols and inhalers are kept out of containers going for incineration where the vendor requires separation Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Empty vaccine vials go into the container named on the waste chart, not the regular trash Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Unused or expired vaccine doses are returned or discarded through the pharmaceutical waste stream, not the trash Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Gauze or bandages saturated with blood go into a biohazard bag Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Biohazard bags are red or carry the biohazard symbol Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Used or expired epinephrine auto-injectors go into a sharps container Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Patient labels and prescription paperwork go into the confidential shredding bin Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The store trash sampled during the visit contained no medications, sharps or patient information Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Pharmaceutical waste containers have their lids closed when not in use Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Each waste container is marked with the date it was started, where local regulation limits storage time Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Pharmaceutical waste containers in use in the dispensary Number
  19. Segregation of waste streams Rating
    • Every stream separated and labeled 5 pts
    • Labeled but some mixing seen 3 pts
    • Streams mixed or unlabeled 1 pt

4. Haulers 15 items

  1. Sharps and biohazard waste are collected by a licensed medical waste hauler or sent by an approved mail-back system Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Pharmaceutical waste is collected by the vendor approved by the company Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Pickups took place on the contracted schedule in the last 6 months Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Date of the last medical waste pickup Date
  5. No full container has been waiting for pickup longer than the storage time allowed by local regulation or company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Containers are sealed and labeled with the store's name and address before pickup Yes / No 1 pt
  7. An employee signs the manifest or shipping paper at each pickup Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The hauler's driver does not enter the dispensary unescorted Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Mail-back boxes are sealed and shipped following the instructions printed on the box Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The store keeps the tracking number of each mail-back box Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Replacement containers and liners are delivered at each pickup or are in stock Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The hauler's emergency phone number is posted at the waste storage area Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The outdoor dumpster is locked or enclosed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Full containers waiting for pickup at the time of the visit Number
  15. Reliability of waste pickups Rating
    • On schedule with signed paperwork 5 pts
    • Late pickups or unsigned paperwork 3 pts
    • Containers accumulating with no pickup 1 pt

5. Exposure response 15 items

  1. The needlestick procedure is posted in the immunization room Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Employees asked could state the first step after a needlestick (wash the area with soap and water) Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Employees asked knew which manager to tell immediately Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The name and address of the clinic or emergency department for post-exposure evaluation are posted Yes / No 1 pt
  5. A handwashing sink is available in or next to the immunization room Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A spill kit for blood and body fluids is kept in or near the immunization room Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Disposable gloves in several sizes are available in the immunization room Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Tongs or a scoop are available to pick up a dropped needle without using fingers Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Immunizers have been offered the hepatitis B vaccine, with acceptance or refusal on file Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Every immunizer completed bloodborne pathogen training in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Immunizers with no bloodborne pathogen training on record for the last 12 months Number
  12. The written exposure control plan was reviewed in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  13. A spill kit for hazardous drugs is available where chemotherapy tablets are handled Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Surfaces in the immunization room are disinfected after any visible blood contamination Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Each needlestick in the last 12 months was followed by a medical evaluation offered to the employee Yes / No 1 pt

6. Records 16 items

  1. Hauler manifests for the last 12 months are filed at the store Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Destruction or treatment certificates returned by the hauler are matched to the manifests Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Take-back liner records show serial number, dates and two signatures Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The sharps injury log is kept as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Needlestick injuries recorded in the last 12 months Number
  6. Date of the most recent needlestick injury Date
  7. Each needlestick injury on record names the device involved and how the injury happened Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Bloodborne pathogen training records list each immunizer by name and date Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The store's registration or permit as a waste generator is current, where local regulation requires one Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Weights or container counts shipped are recorded for each pickup Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Records could be produced for the auditor without calling head office Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Findings from the last waste vendor or regulator inspection have been corrected Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Corrective actions from the previous review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Name of the pharmacist responsible for waste handling Short text
  15. Overall handling of sharps and medical waste Rating
    • Streams separated, containers below the fill line and records complete 5 pts
    • Handled safely with gaps in records or pickups 3 pts
    • Overfilled containers or waste in the wrong stream 1 pt
  16. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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