Permethrin (CAS 52645-53-1): storage and disposal

Pharmacy and vet stock look very different, and the practical points differ. A pharmacy keeps lotion and cream in cartons on a general shelf, away from food and heat, with the aquatic classification in mind if a bottle breaks. A veterinary practice keeps pipettes in their cartons in a separate place from the retail display, and does not leave them on a windowsill or near the radiator. Bulk solid, if a lab holds it, is held in a closed labelled jar with a date. Because it may cause an allergic skin reaction, anyone wiping up a leaking bottle should avoid bare-handed contact. Date opened packs and rotate stock.

Lotions, creams and spot-on liquids should be even in texture and colour. A cream that has separated or hardened, a lotion with an oily layer, a bottle with a crusted neck, a swollen or split tube and a sticky carton are the visible signs. Pipettes should be sealed and dry, so a split tip or damp foil is a fault. Little else shows as it ages, so a jar of powder is checked for caking, a damp patch under the lid and a faded label. Any product past its date, undated or leaking is stock to list for collection.

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.

The aquatic classification is the main reason lotion is never tipped into a drain, however small the volume of lotion left in a bottle appears. UN 3077 is associated with environmentally hazardous solid permethrin. Liquid formulations require their own transport classification, which the collection supplier confirms. The usual waste codes are 16 05 06* for discarded laboratory chemical stock, 18 01 09 for applicable human healthcare medicines and 18 02 08 for applicable veterinary medicines. List each bottle, tube or pipette with product name, strength, count and condition, noting any that leak. The paperwork follows the waste classification confirmed for the particular product and setting. Expired stock is not put into the clinical bin or the general bin, and nobody should empty it first. A registered carrier collects it.

Usually held as: spot-on, topical.

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.