News

Albury Wodonga Health is at the forefront of healthcare innovation with the introduction of a pioneering drug disposal system designed to improve safety for both patients and staff. 

In an Australian-first initiative, Albury Wodonga Health has implemented the RX Destroyer system across its Albury and Wodonga hospital campuses. This state-of-the-art solution rapidly neutralises unwanted, refused or expired medications, making them irretrievable, while ensuring full compliance with pharmaceutical disposal regulations. 

Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Bern Squires, said the system was a game changer for our health service. 

‘Each RX Destroyer unit consists of a lidded container which holds an activated carbon solution that renders the medications placed in the unit completely harmless after a short period of time,’ Ms Squires said. 

‘Albury Wodonga Health, like every other health service, is responsible for managing the medications in its inventory from delivery through to disposal. 

‘For a long time, hospitals have struggled to achieve compliance with this requirement because disposal systems had various limitations that made the requirement difficult to achieve. 

‘Unlike conventional drug disposal systems that have to be refreshed daily, the RX Destroyer can be kept open and in use for up to 12 months without impacting its effectiveness. 

‘Albury Wodonga Health is the first hospital in Australia to introduce this system,’ she said. 

Unused, refused or expired tablets, liquid medications and unfolded patches can be dropped into the RX Destroyer unit where they are absorbed and neutralised by the activated carbon solution inside. 

Ms Squires noted that extensive consultation was undertaken prior to the system’s rollout to ensure its effectiveness across multiple departments. 

‘We engaged closely with staff to understand their needs and conducted an audit of existing sharps disposal bins to gauge the likely volume of drugs that could be redirected to the RX Destroyer disposal units,’ she added.  

‘Following this, we worked with each department to determine the best location for the units, providing education to staff on new disposal practices. Ongoing audits will occur to ensure continued compliance and successful adoption of the system.’ 

The introduction of the RX Destroyer system delivers several key benefits for Albury Wodonga Health. 

‘Firstly, the RX Destroyer system allows us to improve patient safety by ensuring wastage is neutralised and cannot be accessed,’ Ms Squires explained. 

‘Secondly, the system ensures that we are 100% compliant with pharmaceutical disposal requirements. 

‘In addition, we can also be sure that wastage is not entering the environment, via stormwater or other disposal methods, where they could impact the wider community (including native wildlife) through contamination of the water and soil.’ 

The RX Destroyer system has now been rolled out across the Albury and Wodonga hospital campuses with plans to extend its use across other sites as required. 

This initiative underscores AWH’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in patient care, staff safety, and environmental responsibility.