COMING SOON
Safe Waste System (SWS)
Controlled Substance Waste Management System
Reclaim Time. Prevent Diversion. Protect Patients.
The first and only controlled substance waste management system that closes the loop on narcotic waste—right at the point of care.
Narcotic Waste in the OR
Every day in operating rooms, wasting controlled substances is one of the most inefficient and error-prone processes in healthcare.
- Small variations in delivered dose or wasted volume are difficult to address at the point of care.
- Differences between expected and reconciled volumes not immediately reconciled require pharmacy and the anesthesia provider to backtrack hours or days later.
- Waste logs become subject to increased scrutiny due to gaps and create perception of general inaccuracy.
- Cases stall, reconciliation drags, and the risk of diversion grows.
At the same time, narcotic waste places a heavy burden—the responsibility to meet strict laws and mandates required of the hospital. These demands weigh heavily on anesthesia providers and pharmacy, adding stress to an already complex process.
And perhaps the biggest gap of all: assay testing.
Until now, verifying what was wasted matched what was prepared could only be done in pharmacy — creating extra steps, delays, and blind spots. That means testing couldn’t happen at the point where the drug was actually used.
Codonics Safe Waste System™
The Codonics Safe Waste System™ (SWS) changes everything. Integrated with the award-winning Safe Label System® (SLS), it’s the first and only solution to deliver:
Real-time identification, measurement, assay, wasting, witnessing, and reconciliation — all in under 7 seconds, at the point of care.
The breakthrough? A built-in spectrophotometer inside SWS. For the first time, assay testing happens in the OR, automatically by the provider as part of their normal waste workflow. The process is fast, painless, and seamless.
For pharmacy, this is transformational: the most time-consuming, compliance-critical task is now done automatically, in the right place, at the right time — without spending any available FTE time.
SWS is available as a compact add-on to the Safe Label System®. It installs in minutes on both new and existing SLS units, with no additional power, cabling, or network connections required. For hospitals with existing Safe Label System 550i and 600i models, a software update may be required to enable SWS compatibility.
Why Hospitals Embrace SWS
SWS isn’t another tool—it’s a platform that solves healthcare’s three biggest blind spots:
medication safety, diversion control and medication management–while reducing the cost of administration.
Built for Anesthesia
Fast, seamless, and reconciliation happens instantly, not after the fact.
Powered by Pharmacy
Complete chain of custody, audit-ready, and effortless oversight.
Trusted by Leadership
Closes diversion gaps, safeguards reputation, and saves time and money.
Eliminating the Burden of Reconciliation
Before SWS, pharmacy staff spent hours combing through incomplete narcotic waste records and chasing anesthesia days later. Now, SWS transforms that burden into instant oversight.
The provider performs the testing directly at the point of care on SWS. Results flow instantly to the pharmacy dashboard for review. Pharmacy can view results from any SWS in the facility, without ever leaving their office. In seconds, they know where discrepancies require action.
- Instant visibility: Who, what, when, how much.
- Dashboard clarity: Real-time analysis of every drop, as DEA requires hospitals to account for 100% of controlled substances.
- Seamless workflow: Pharmacy doesn’t intervene at the point of care — they simply review results, which can be exported into third-party diversion monitoring systems or reviewed through Codonics Administration Tool (AT) Software.
“All pharmacy has to do is look at the dashboard to see every event in real time.” – Pharmacy Leader, ASHP Futures
“This is the first time I’ve seen a closed-loop system” – Director of Pharmacy, FSHP Annual Meeting
Simpler, Faster, Safer
Ask any anesthesia provider: wasting narcotics is one of the most frustrating tasks in the OR. SWS makes it painless.
- <7 seconds; done before you leave the room.
- Reconciliation happens promptly at the end of the case, not days later.
- Automatic proof protects your reputation.
- Fairness for all—every provider held to the same standard.
- Works seamlessly with the SLS you already trust.
Every waste event is completed in one seamless workflow, built right into anesthesia’s routine. In seconds, SWS automatically handles each critical step:
- Identify – Real-time identification.
- Measure – Syringe contents automatically withdrawn and volume precisely measured.
- Witness – Each waste event is documented, creating a compliant record and establishing the foundation for electronic witnessing.
- Assay – Drug identity and concentration confirmed.
- Waste – Drug rendered non-retrievable and securely stored.
- Reconcile – Prepared, administered, and wasted volumes aligned instantly.
“It was done in seconds!” – Anesthesia Provider
Safety & Compliance Officers: Closing the Diversion Gap
Diversion isn’t just about DEA compliance —it’s about protecting patients, staff, and the hospital.
- Secure, auditable electronic records.
- Spectrophotometry confirms drug identity and concentration, with full data verification traceability.
- Every waste event is objectively verified, ensuring accurate confirmation of drug identity and concentration.
- A standardized process across every provider, in every location.
- Real-time alerts that catch discrepancies instantly.
Hospital Leadership: Confidence at the Top
For CEOs and executives, every diversion risk is both reputational and financial.
SWS provides:
- The strongest safeguard against diversion in the operating room.
- Efficiency that saves hundreds of hours annually.
- Financial protection from DEA audits, investigations, and lost productivity.
- A visible commitment to safety innovation and patient care.
Hospital-Wide Benefits
SWS delivers measurable benefits across the hospital—closing gaps, protecting staff, and strengthening compliance.
- Pharmacy: Saves hours, gains oversight, compliance confidence.
- Anesthesia: Faster workflow, less hassle, protected reputation.
- Hospital: Stronger compliance, lower diversion risk, safer patient care.
- Redistribution of critical tasks: Assay testing is shifted to the OR at the point of care—performed automatically by anesthesia in seconds—freeing pharmacy from manual testing and improving efficiency across departments.
How Codonics Safe Waste System™ Works (in Seconds)
- Identify – Real-time identification.
- Measure – Syringe contents automatically withdrawn and volume precisely measured.
- Witness – Each waste event is documented, creating a compliant record and establishing the foundation for electronic witnessing.
- Assay – Drug identity and concentration confirmed.
- Waste – Drug rendered non-retrievable and securely stored.
- Reconcile – Prepared, administered, and wasted volumes aligned instantly.
Take the Next Step: The future of narcotic waste management is here—safe, simple and seamless.
Imagine a hospital where anesthesia providers never chases a witness, pharmacy never backtracks missing doses, and leadership never fears a diversion audit. Schedule a demo today and see how your hospital can eliminate diversion risk, save hours, and strengthen compliance.
Codonics Safe Waste System™ — Born from innovation | Built to integrate | Trusted to save lives
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Recognition & Innovation
Codonics has been named a Top 100 HealthTech Company for advancing patient safety. SWS is the first and only system to bring complete narcotic waste management, reconciliation, and electronics witnessing directly into the OR.
Safe Waste System (SWS) Support and Resources
Patient Safety Products
Designed for Clinicians, Driven by Pharmacy.
Improving healthcare from drug preparation to administration and waste.
