An occasional feature, prepared in the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Professional Standards Directorate, to highlight problems and inquiries currently being handled
For the amended version of this notice, see PJ, June 3, 2000, p842
Pharmacists are reminded that they may destroy patient-returned Controlled Drugs without an authorised witness. Pharmacists are strongly advised to destroy returned CDs regularly to avoid quantities building up in the Controlled Drugs cupboard.
Problems may arise when a Controlled Drug is not denatured effectively before disposal. Therefore the procedure detailed below should be followed to ensure the CD has been rendered irretrievable before disposal.
Although not a legal requirement, it is good practice to document the destruction and to require a member of staff to witness it.
The record of destruction should be made somewhere other than the CD register - for example, at the back of the prescription register.
Liquid dose formulations Liquid dose formulations should be added to, and absorbed by, an appropriate amount of cat litter, or similar product.
Solid dose formulations Solid dose formulations should be crushed and placed into bleach to which a small amount of hot water has been added. The resultant mixture should be stirred to ensure that the drug has been dissolved or dispersed.
Parenteral formulations Ampoules should be crushed with a pestle inside an empty plastic container. After ensuring that all ampoules are broken, a small quantity of bleach or cat litter should be added.
Fentanyl patches The active ingredient in Fentanyl patches can be rendered irretrievable by removing the backing and folding the patch over upon itself.
Once the above procedure has been carried out, the resultant mixture should be added to the general pharmaceutical waste. It is advisable, therefore, to keep the liquid content to a minimum.
Out-of-date stocks of CDs should not be destroyed in this manner without an authorised witness.