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Medical Waste Program

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Medical Waste Generators

The California Medical Waste Management Act defines a medical waste generator as any person, whose act or process produces medical waste. Medical waste generators are required to register with the Environmental Health Division. Please review the following links for more information:

Red biohazard disposal bag with biohazard symbol and text indicating infectious waste.
Various medical supplies and medications in a hazardous waste bin with a biohazard symbol.

Online Medical Waste Generator Registration

Online Payments

For any changes in ownership or billing, please contact medicalwaste@ventura.org. For general medical waste questions, please see the contact information below.

What is Medical Waste?

Medical waste is a subset of wastes generated at health care facilities, such as hospitals, physicians’ offices, dental practices, blood banks, and veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as medical research facilities and laboratories. Generally, medical waste is healthcare waste that that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other potentially infectious materials and is often referred to as regulated medical waste.

Regulation of Medical Waste

To protect public health and safety and the environment from potential exposure to disease causing agents, the Ventura County Environmental Health Division, Medical Waste Program regulates the generation, handling, storage, treatment and disposal of medical waste throughout the County.

Medical Waste Program staff perform routine inspections, issue registrations and/or permits to medical waste generators and investigate complaints. The Medical Waste Program also responds to illegal disposal incidents whenever the need arises. Please click here to File a Complaint.

The Medical Waste Program staff implement the following codes and regulations:

Treatment of Medical Waste

Shipping / Transporting Medical Waste

White truck with red cargo area labeled "MEDICAL WASTE" and a biohazard symbol on the side.

Home-Generated Medical Waste

Home-generated medical waste includes home-generated pharmaceutical waste and home-generated sharps waste. Home-generated sharps waste includes hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications derived from a household, including a multifamily residence or household. Home-generated sharps waste also includes sharps used to deliver medication to pets. The California Medical Waste Management Act prohibits the disposal of home-generated sharps into any container used for the collection of regular trash, recycling or green waste. Please click the following links for information on how to properly and safely dispose of your home-generated sharps and pharmaceutical wastes:

Hand in a blue glove disposing of a syringe into a red sharps disposal container.

Trauma Scene Waste

Trauma scene waste is regulated waste that has been removed, is to be removed, or is in the process of being removed, from a trauma scene by a trauma scene waste management practitioner. 

California Department of Public Health

The California Department of Public Health provides several resources for those who generate, store, treat, and/or dispose of medical waste. They also provide information and guidance to the general public related to home-generated medical waste. Check out the following links and lists for more information:

California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Fact Sheets

Pharmaceutical Waste and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) / Department of Justice (DOJ)

An overturned prescription bottle with white pills scattered around.

US Environmental Protection Agency

More Helpful Links and Guidance

Contact Us

Program Specialist

Karen Farin
(805)  654-5007
Karen.Farin@ventura.org

Jeremiah Ramos
(805) 477-7110
Jeremiah.Ramos@ventura.org

Supervisor

Matthew Madison
(805) 654-2435
Matthew.Madison@Ventura.org

Manager

Rick Bandelin
(805) 654-2815
Rick.Bandelin@ventura.org

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