COMING SOON
Safe Waste System™ (SWS)
Controlled Substance Waste Management Solution
Reclaim Time. Reduce Diversion Risk. Protect Patients.
A new approach to controlled substance waste – bringing waste and the data required for reconciliation to the point of care.
Controlled Substance Waste in the OR
Every controlled substance — down to the smallest remaining amount — must be accounted for. In today’s operating rooms, waste and reconciliation are typically completed after the case.
This gap is where the process becomes fragmented.
Documentation is delayed.
Reconciliation happens later.
And pharmacy and anesthesia are left to reconstruct what happened – hours or days after the fact.
The biggest breakdown isn’t waste – it’s reconciliation.
It remains 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 require time-consuming follow-up.
- Waste records become subject to scrutiny due to gaps or delays.
- Cases stall, reconciliation drags, and the risk of diversion increases.
- Delayed reconciliation can impact case closure—creating downstream delays in billing and revenue capture.
At the same time, controlled substance waste places a significant burden on both anesthesia and pharmacy—requiring strict regulatory compliance within an already complex workflow.
And perhaps the biggest gap of all: assay testing.
Until now, confirming that what was wasted matches what was prepared could only be performed in pharmacy — creating additional steps, delays, and blind spots. Testing simply wasn’t happening where the drug was actually used.
Codonics Safe Waste System™ (SWS)
The Codonics Safe Waste System™ (SWS) is designed to operate in conjunction with the Safe Label System® (SLS), bringing controlled substance waste — and the data required for reconciliation — to the point of care.
SWS enables identification, measurement, spectrophotometric analysis, waste, witnessing, and record/report — all within a single, streamlined workflow.
All completed in seconds — before the provider leaves the room.
A comprehensive, compliant record is captured at the point of care — while the clinician still remembers the case, not hours or days later.
For pharmacy, this is transformational: one of the most time-consuming, compliance-critical processes is no longer reconstructed after the case — it is captured accurately, at the moment it occurs.
SWS is an FDA-listed Class 1 Exempt medical device and clinical spectrophotometer for pharmaceutical analysis, designed to support controlled substance waste and capture the data required for reconciliation.
Designed to Work in Conjunction
SWS is designed to operate alongside the Safe Label System® (SLS), with each system supporting distinct stages of the perioperative medication workflow
Preparation → Administration → Controlled Substance Waste & Data for Reconciliation
SWS installs in minutes and fits naturally into existing workflows:
- Compact footprint – sits alongside SLS on the anesthesia cart shelf
- Disposable tank holds weeks of waste
- Fast implementation with minimal disruption to existing workflows
- Designed to fit seamlessly into the anesthesia workflow at the point of care
Why Hospitals Embrace SWS
SWS is an FDA-listed Class I Exempt medical device designed to support controlled substance waste and accountability, reduce diversion risk, and improve medication traceability.
Built for Anesthesia
Fast, consistent, and completed at the point of care — not after the case.
Powered by Pharmacy
Comprehensive, compliant records and improved visibility into waste activity.
Trusted by Leadership
Strengthens oversight, supports compliance, and reduces operational risk.
Simplifying the Burden of Reconciliation
Before SWS, pharmacy teams spent hours reviewing incomplete waste records and following up with anesthesia days later.
SWS changes that.
- Waste events are documented at the point of care — as part of the clinical workflow
- Data is available through the SWS AT Data Center for pharmacy review
- Pharmacy gains timely visibility into who, what, when, and how much
- Data can be exported or integrated into existing diversion monitoring processes
Instead of reconstructing events later, pharmacy has access to a comprehensive, compliant record captured when the event occurs.
“All pharmacy has to do is look at the SWS Data Center to see every event in real-time.” – Pharmacy Leader, ASHP Futures
“This is the first time I’ve seen a device bring this level of clarity to controlled substance waste.” – Director of Pharmacy, FSHP Annual Meeting
Simpler. Faster. Safer.
Ask any anesthesia provider: controlled substance waste is one of the most frustrating tasks in the OR.
SWS simplifies the process.
- Completed in seconds — before leaving the room
- A comprehensive, compliant record is captured at the end of the case
- Objective documentation supports and protects anesthesia providers
- A consistent process ensures standardization across every case
One Workflow. Complete Accountability.
Every controlled substance waste event includes:
- Identify – Ensures the correct medication is associated with each waste event
- Measure – Captures the volume of controlled substance waste for accurate documentation
- Assay – Confirms drug identity and concentration as part of the waste record
- Waste – Renders the substance non-retrievable and securely contained
- Witness – Documents each waste event, creating a compliant record and establishing the foundation for electronic witnessing
- Record/Report – Captures a comprehensive, compliant record of each waste event to support pharmacy review and reconciliation
“It was done in seconds!” – Anesthesia Provider
Safety & Compliance Officers: Closing the Gap
Diversion is not just a compliance issue — it’s a patient safety, staff protection, and institutional risk issue.
SWS strengthens oversight with:
- Secure, auditable electronic records
- Spectrophotometric confirmation of drug identity and concentration
- Objective documentation of each waste event
- A standardized process across providers and locations
Hospital Leadership:
Confidence at the Top
For hospital leadership, controlled substance management carries both financial and reputational risk.
SWS provides:
- Stronger safeguards against diversion in the operating room
- Operational efficiencies that reduce reconciliation effort
- Greater confidence during DEA, State Board of Pharmacy, and internal audits
- A visible commitment to patient safety and compliance
Hospital-Wide Impact
SWS delivers measurable value across the organization:
- Pharmacy: improved visibility, reduced reconciliation effort, stronger compliance confidence
- Anesthesia: streamlined workflow, fewer manual steps, reduced post-case follow up
- Hospital: reduced diversion risk, improved compliance posture, safer patient care
- Operations: assay testing performed at the point of care, improving coordination across teams
The Future of Controlled Substance Waste Starts Here
Imagine an operating room where:
- Waste events are documented at the point of care
- Pharmacy no longer reconstructs incomplete records
- Providers are supported by consistent, objective workflows
- Leadership has greater confidence in compliance and oversight
Because in the operating room, documentation must be accurate, timely, and complete.
Every controlled substance must be accounted for — and that responsibility shouldn’t fall on reconstruction after the fact.
Schedule a Demonstration
See how your hospital can strengthen compliance, reduce reconciliation effort, and improve accountability at the point of care.
Born from innovation | Designed to work in conjunction | Trusted to save lives
Product is FDA listed; release and distribution expected fourth quarter 2026.
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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.
