Pregabalin (CAS 148553-50-8): storage and disposal
Pregabalin capsules are held by pharmacies and clinics for epilepsy, nerve pain and anxiety, often in several strengths at once. The drug is a Schedule 3, Class C controlled item with a known risk of diversion. As a substance it causes serious eye damage, is suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child, and may harm organs through prolonged or repeated exposure. Stock counts matter as much as its hazards, and old stock is cleared through a manual enquiry.
- CAS number
- 148553-50-8
- Form
- Solid
- Storage class
- Toxic
- Signal word
- Danger
- Usual EWC code
- 16 05 06*
Corrosive
Serious health hazard
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
Serious eye damage is the classification that makes loose powder a concern, and it rules out casual decanting or sorting of split capsules on an open bench. Whole capsules in their original packs are a far lower concern, and the place for them is the existing controlled drugs arrangement with the records current. Pregabalin is attractive for diversion, so a carton left near a counter or in an unattended clinic room is the real day to day weakness. Multiple strengths also get mixed up on a crowded shelf, so give each its own labelled position. Oxidisers and acids should be stored elsewhere. Part-used packs from patients should be kept apart from stock for issue until the pharmacist has dealt with them.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Hard, smooth capsules that move freely in a clean blister are normal, and colours that differ between strengths are normal too. A bulging or torn blister, soft or sticky shells, and capsules welded to each other are not. Heat and damp are the usual causes. White powder inside the pack means a capsule has failed, and it should be left in place and reported because of the eye hazard. Apart from these physical signs, pregabalin gives few visual clues as it ages, so the expiry date and batch number are the best guide. Blisters with no printed name are a common finding among returns, and these cannot be identified simply by capsule colour.
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.
Note the strength, batch, expiry and capsule count from each container before asking for a collection, and say which packs are sealed, part-used or returned. With a diversion risk, an accurate tally protects your own staff as much as anyone. Pregabalin is not quoted online and needs a manual enquiry, because a general chemical collection does not cover it. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 govern destruction, often with an authorised witness, and the responsible pharmacist or accountable officer decides how it proceeds. Pharmacy and clinic stock generally carries 18 01 09. A store assessment can help when stock is spread across rooms. Capsules should never be opened, flushed or put into a general waste bin.
| EWC code, laboratory chemicals | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 08* |
| Human healthcare setting | 18 01 09 |
| 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: capsules.
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
- H318 Causes serious eye damage.
- H361 Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child.
- H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
Precautionary statements
- P203 Obtain, read and follow all safety instructions before use.
- P260 Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
- P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
- P305+P354+P338 IF IN EYES: Immediately rinse with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- P317 Get medical help.
- P318 If exposed or concerned, get medical advice.
- P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
- 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
A count of our pregabalin does not match the record. Does that affect disposal?
It should be resolved first, or at least reported. Tell the accountable officer or responsible pharmacist before anything leaves the site, because a discrepancy cannot be explained once the stock has gone. Hold the packs in the locked arrangement and note what was found, who checked it and when.
What do we do if capsule powder gets on a bench during a stock check?
Follow your local spillage procedure and tell the pharmacist. The substance causes serious eye damage, so avoid creating dust, and treat any eye contact as a first aid matter under your site's arrangements. Record the spoiled capsules as part of your stock figures, and describe them separately in the enquiry.
Can pregabalin from different strengths be listed together in an enquiry?
Separate lines work better. The register or stock record will normally be kept by strength, so a combined total makes checking harder. List each strength with its capsule count and expiry, then add a line for any unidentified capsules so they can be considered on their own.
