Isoflurane (CAS 26675-46-7): storage and disposal

The practical risk for isoflurane is repeated low-level exposure for staff rather than fire, so the stock should be kept sealed in a cool store, away from the anaesthetic machine where bottles are opened and filled. Keep bottles upright with their caps and keyed filler fittings secure, and make sure the label faces out. A general dry store is the usual class, but a veterinary practice should keep it in a cupboard that is not used for food, with a stock record. Keep spare scavenging canisters apart from used ones, and label the used ones clearly.

A vet nurse or pharmacy technician can see the faults at a glance: a low level in a part-used bottle, a cap or filler fitting that has loosened, and a label that has faded or been stained by drips. Isoflurane gives few visible changes of its own, so a bottle that looks normal may still be old, and the expiry date on the label counts. Used scavenging canisters feel heavier than new ones and may smell of the agent around the machine. Record any bottle that has been opened for a long time and any leaking fitting.

By specialist collection only. It never goes down the drain or into general waste. It is normally packed in a non-regulated or low hazard laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Waste bottles and exhausted scavenging canisters should be declared on the collection request, and each should be listed separately with its size and condition. Neither should be vented, emptied into a sink, or put in clinical waste. They leave by specialist collection, in compatible groups. A veterinary practice can use 18 02 08, a human healthcare setting 18 01 09, and laboratory stock 16 05 06*, with a loose discarded organic chemical using 16 05 08*. Keep the bottles sealed until collection and say whether the canisters are sealed in a bag.

Usually held as: anaesthetic.

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.