Pharmaceuticals & Sharps Program

Pharmaceutical & Sharps Program

OVERVIEW | REGISTRATION | PRODUCTS | PLAN

Pharmaceutical Products & Medical Sharps Program Overview

The Government of New Brunswick established an Extended Producer Responsibility program for pharmaceutical products and medical sharps in 2022. Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 under the Clean Environment Act sets out the requirements for the program.

As the agency responsible for designated materials in New Brunswick, Recycle NB oversees the pharmaceutical products and medical sharps program.

As per the Regulation, producers may designate a Producer Responsibility Organization to operate the program on their behalf. Producers chose Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) to operate the pharmaceuticals and medical sharps program in New Brunswick.

Registration

According to Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 under the Clean Environment Act, obligated producers are required to register with Recycle NB.

To register, please click here.

Register

Products

Under Designated Materials Regulation 2024-37 of the Clean Environment Act, obligated pharmaceutical products and medical sharps are defined as follows:

Medical sharps

A needle, safety engineered needle, lancet or other similar instrument that is designed, for medical purposes, to puncture the skin of a consumer or their companion animal and includes anything affixed to the medical sharp, including a syringe.

Pharmaceutical products

A drug as defined in the Food and Drugs Act (Canada) and a natural health product as defined in the Natural Health Products Regulations made under that Act. Products do not include:

(a) A food as defined in the Food and Drugs Act (Canada)

(b) A cosmetic as defined in the Food and Drugs Act (Canada)

(c) A drug that is a radiopharmaceutical as defined in the Food and Drug Regulations made under the Food and Drugs Act (Canada)

(d) A drug for veterinary use except a drug for veterinary use in a consumer’s companion animal

(e) A topical substance that does not contain an antibiotic, antifungal or analgesic

(f) A drug that is represented as being solely for use as a disinfectant on hard non-porous surfaces

For more information or a complete list of accepted products, please contact HPSA.

Stewardship Plan

A stewardship plan shall apply to the manufacture, storage, collection, transportation, processing, disposal or other handling of pharmaceuticals and medical sharps that are sold, offered for sale or distributed within the province. For more details, please see the approved stewardship plan, which expires on December 31, 2027.