PPE that is not visibly soiled or used to compound hazardous drugs does not need to be disposed of as hazardous waste. True or False?

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. It depends

Answer: (B)

Residues from hazardous drugs can remain on PPE even when it looks clean, so the risk isn’t eliminated by appearance alone. Because of that, PPE used in handling hazardous drugs is treated as contaminated and should be disposed of as hazardous waste. This protects workers from exposure and helps prevent environmental contamination. Gloves, gowns, face shields, and other disposable coverings used in compounding or administering hazardous drugs are typically discarded through the hazardous waste stream, rather than being tossed in regular trash, unless the facility has a specific decontamination and reuse protocol that meets regulatory standards. So the statement is false: lack of visible soil does not guarantee that PPE can bypass hazardous waste disposal.