Buprenorphine (CAS 52485-79-7): storage and disposal
Three quite different products share the name buprenorphine: sublingual tablets dispensed for opioid dependence and pain, skin patches, and injections, which are especially common in veterinary practices. It is a Schedule 3, Class C controlled drug. The substance is classified as toxic if swallowed and as a skin, eye and respiratory irritant. Finished products may be less hazardous than the pure material, but cannot be assumed safe. Knowing which product you hold, and its record, decides how it is handled.
- CAS number
- 52485-79-7
- Form
- Solid
- Storage class
- Toxic
- Signal word
- Danger
- Usual EWC code
- 16 05 06*
Acute toxicity
This chemical is a manual enquiry
This is a controlled drug. Controlled drugs have their own legal requirements for storage, witnessing and destruction, so they cannot be priced through a standard form.
UK Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001: Schedule 3, Class C.
It cannot be priced through a form. Please do not open or move it. Call us or send an enquiry and we will talk through the safe next step, which is often a store assessment.
What to do this week
- Leave it where it is. If it looks old, crystalline or damaged, do not open or move it and keep people away from the shelf.
- Write down the label wording, the rough age and where it is stored, from a safe distance.
- Send us those details, and a photo if you can take one without touching it.
Safe storage in a school or lab
Community and hospital pharmacies usually keep sublingual tablets and patches in the locked controlled drugs arrangement, near but separate from opioids in other schedules, and that separation should be clear. Patches and sublingual tablets are packaged very differently from injections, yet they share a name on the shelf, so strength and form must be easy to read. Keep each pouch or blister sealed until the moment it is needed. Injection vials in a veterinary practice are often kept near the anaesthetic preparation area, and a pierced bung should carry a first-use date. Used patches still contain drug, and they should not be left where others can reach them. Acids and oxidisers go elsewhere. Keep your records up to date throughout.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Little changes to the eye as this opioid ages. The injection is sensitive to light, which is why it stays in its carton, but a clear solution offers no proof of strength, so the printed date is what counts. Sublingual tablets can absorb moisture, so a chalky, crumbling or damp-looking tablet or a split blister is worth noting. Patches stay in their pouches, so inspect the pouch and do not open it: torn edges, lifted seals and missing dates are what you can check. Multi-dose vials in veterinary stock should have a clean bung and a first-use date. Cloudiness or particles in an injection are not normal, and faded labels should be reported.
How it must be disposed of
This does not go through our standard collection route. It is arranged by manual enquiry, and never goes down the drain or into general waste.
18 02 08 is the code a veterinary practice would normally expect, and 18 01 09 a pharmacy or clinic, although neither takes it into a general chemical collection. Controlled drug status comes first. It is not quoted online. Stock in healthcare settings is decided on by the accountable officer or the responsible pharmacist, with the vet responsible for controlled drugs records doing the same in a practice. Authorised witnessing is needed in many cases. Patches should never be cut, and vials should not be emptied into a sink or drain. Send a manual enquiry if your holding is large or muddled, and a store assessment may then be suggested. Keep everything in the locked arrangement until you hear back.
| EWC code, laboratory chemicals | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 08* |
| Human healthcare setting | 18 01 09 |
| Veterinary setting | 18 02 08 |
| Hazardous waste | Yes |
The code depends on where the waste came from and what it is mixed with. Use the waste code finder to see why.
Do not store with
- OxidiserToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- AcidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
Named chemicals to keep apart
- Acetic acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Calcium hypochloriteToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Hydrochloric acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Hydrogen peroxideToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Nitric acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Potassium nitrateToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Potassium permanganateToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Sulfuric acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
Common quantities we collect
Usually held as: injection, patches, sublingual.
Part-used bottles and full containers are both fine. Tell us the size and how many, and an estimate is enough for a first price.
Where it is commonly held
Hazard statements
- H301 Toxic if swallowed.
- H315 Causes skin irritation.
- H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
- H335 May cause respiratory irritation.
Precautionary statements
- P203 Obtain, read and follow all safety instructions before use.
- P260 Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P261 Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P263 Avoid contact during pregnancy and while nursing.
- P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
- P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
- P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
- P301+P316 IF SWALLOWED: Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
- P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
- P304+P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
- P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- P318 If exposed or concerned, get medical advice.
- P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
- P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
- P330 Rinse mouth.
- P332+P317 If skin irritation occurs: Get medical help.
- P337+P317 If eye irritation persists: Get medical help.
- P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
- P403+P233 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.
- P405 Store locked up.
- P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.
Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.
Questions
How are used buprenorphine patches handled in a care setting?
Your local controlled drugs procedure decides, and the responsible pharmacist is the person to ask. A used patch still holds some drug, so it should never be left on a side or in an open room bin. Do not cut or open it. Record its removal in the way your procedure asks.
We have sublingual tablets that were never collected. Do they go back into stock?
Follow your local process, and do not mix them back in without a decision from the responsible pharmacist. Keep them in their labelled packs in the locked arrangement, and record what has happened. Note any split blisters, as they may affect whether the tablets remain usable.
Our vet practice has a part-used multi-dose vial with no opening date. Should it go?
That is a clinical decision for the veterinary surgeon responsible, but with no opening date there is little to go on. If it is withdrawn, mark it clearly, keep it in the locked arrangement and record why. Do not empty it, and do not rely on the look of the liquid.
