The use of absorbent materials for the disposal of controlled drugs.

Abstract

The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland's most recent publication on controlled drugs notes that the Environmental Protection Act (1992) does not permit the disposal of controlled drugs into the water sewerage system. The Association suggests that, in order to conform to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (1985), controlled drugs may best be disposed of using some sort of absorbent material, for example a small amount of cat litter or wallpaper paste, in the bottom of a sharps bin. The absorbent capacity of three types of cat litter, wallpaper paste and a commercial absorbent material were tested. Both the commercial absorbent and wallpaper paste displayed limited absorbent qualities unless the container was agitated. The cat litter, Snowflake, absorbed more controlled drug than the others (one-way ANOVA, F2,12 = 250.85, p < 0.01). The use of absorbent materials in sharps bins for the disposal of controlled drugs in clinical areas has limitations and may not be suitable. It is concluded, therefore, that small volumes of controlled drugs should be disposed of directly into clinical waste and that large volumes should be dealt with using a commercial absorbent in its own container.