CareFusion, Vestara combine to address pharma waste market

Medical technology firm CareFusion (San Diego, CA) and pharmaceutical waste management company Vestara (Irvine, CA) have merged to jointly address the market for segregating pharmaceutical wastes from hospital waste streams and properly managing the wastes. In acquiring Vestara, CareFusion has expanded its Pyxis medical management product through the acquisition of a hardware and software platform that helps hospitals identify, classify, segregate, and track pharmaceutical wastes. According to CareFusion, U.S. hospitals purchase more than 4 billion vials, bottles, and ampoules containing hazardous substances and generate 84,000 tons of hazardous waste annually. “Pharmaceutical waste management is a challenging issue, with many of the nation’s hospitals remaining non-compliant due to complex handling requirements specific to each medication classification and varying regulations at federal, state and local levels,” said Tom Leonard, president of Dispensing Technologies at CareFusion. “CareFusion can now help in a way that protects their employees, the environment and their bottom line.”