Cocaine (CAS 50-36-2): storage and disposal
Cocaine is a Schedule 2, Class A controlled drug, held in the UK as topical preparations in hospital pharmacies and clinics, as small reference standards at universities and as forgotten legacy stock. It is also toxic if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Its legal status decides nearly everything, so the register and the people responsible for it come before any question about how it is packed.
- CAS number
- 50-36-2
- Form
- Solid
- Storage class
- Toxic
- Signal word
- Danger
- Usual EWC code, laboratory stock
- 16 05 06*
Acute toxicity
This chemical is a manual enquiry
This is a controlled drug. Controlled drugs have their own legal requirements, which depend on the schedule and can cover storage, witnessing and destruction, so they cannot be priced through a standard form.
UK Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001: Schedule 2, Class A.
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 next step, which depends on what it is. Keep following your own procedures for controlled drugs, radioactive materials, gases and asbestos.
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. If there is immediate danger, such as a leak, fumes or a fire, leave the area and call 999.
- 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
Keep cocaine stock separate from incompatible chemicals, particularly oxidisers, within the existing controlled drugs storage arrangements. In practice the controlled drugs cabinet already keeps those away, and that is where it stays. Controlled drugs law governs its storage and records, so whatever form it takes it needs the existing locked arrangement and an up to date register. Legacy items turn up in odd places: an old ENT cupboard, a departmental safe or a boxed forensic reference set. If one surfaces, do not carry it across the site on your own initiative. Tell the accountable officer or responsible pharmacist where it is, and let them decide how it is secured.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Moisture is the slow enemy here. Damp conditions gradually break the molecule down into other compounds, and that change does not show, so a white powder can look the same long after it has lost its purity. Caking or a colour change would suggest that a seal has failed. Topical preparations may discolour, drop in level or leave crystals around the cap. Beyond that it offers few visible signs, which means the label and the register carry more weight than the appearance. A faded reference label, an unreadable date, or a difference between the register and the shelf all matter, and any difference needs reporting to the person responsible. Nobody should open a vial to look closer.
How it is 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 01 09 is the code a hospital pharmacy or clinic would normally use, with 16 05 06* more likely for a university reference standard, but the code does not settle who may take it. Controlled drug law comes first. Destruction of stock needs an authorised witness in many cases and a general chemical collection does not cover it, so this is not quoted online. Send a manual enquiry, and a store assessment is recommended. In healthcare settings, the accountable officer or responsible pharmacist makes the decision. Give the form, the quantity as registered, and how old it is. Until advice arrives it stays locked in its present place, and no attempt should be made to alter it or tip it down a sink.
| Usual EWC code, laboratory stock | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 08* |
| Human healthcare setting | 18 01 09 |
| Usually classed as hazardous waste | Yes |
The code depends on where the waste came from and what it contains, and classifying it is the producer's duty. 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
Usually held as: legacy stock, reference standard, topical preparations.
Tell us the container size and how many you hold. An estimate is enough to start with, and some items cannot be priced until someone has looked at them.
Where it is commonly held
Hazard statements
- H301 Toxic if swallowed.
- H311 Toxic in contact with skin.
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- H331 Toxic if inhaled.
Precautionary statements
- P261 Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P262 Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
- P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
- P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- P272 Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
- P301+P316 IF SWALLOWED: Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
- P304+P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
- P316 Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
- P330 Rinse mouth.
- P333+P317 If skin irritation or rash occurs: Get medical help.
- P361+P364 Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
- 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
We found an old vial in a retired consultant's cupboard. Who do we tell?
The controlled drugs accountable officer or the responsible pharmacist, straight away. Do not move it yourself or add it to a waste bin. They will decide how it is secured and recorded, and you can then send an enquiry about what happens to it next.
Can a university reference standard go out with our solvent clearance?
No. A general chemical collection does not cover controlled drug stock, however small the vial is. Keep it in its locked arrangement with the register up to date, name the person who holds responsibility for it and raise a separate manual enquiry.
The register shows more than we can find on the shelf. Can we still ask for a collection?
Sort that out first through your accountable officer or responsible pharmacist, because a discrepancy has to be looked into under your own controlled drugs procedures. Mention it in any enquiry, as the quantity described for collection has to match what the register shows.
Does skin contact matter when handling sealed stock?
It does if a container has failed, as the substance is classified toxic in contact with skin and may cause an allergic reaction. Sealed topical products carry less than pure material. A leaking or broken item should be left in place and reported, with no attempt to wipe it up.
