Silver sulfadiazine (CAS 22199-08-2): storage and disposal

In a pharmacy cupboard it sits with other topical preparations, but the practical point is that part-used tubs left open in a clinic treatment room are the usual problem. Keep unopened tubes in their outer boxes on a general shelf, away from heat and direct light, and keep opened tubs closed and labelled with the date opened. Name it on any returns or waste list, so the silver content is stated when the waste is classified. Nothing about it needs a corrosive or flammable store. A clinic that holds a stock list should record batch and expiry so that out-of-date tubes are found before they accumulate.

Silver compounds in creams are light-sensitive, and the product is well known for darkening with exposure, so a white cream that has turned grey, brown or dark in a tub or at the tube nozzle has been kept in the light or opened for a long time. Look for separation of the base, a hard crust at the tube neck and a cap that no longer closes. Dark staining on shelving or on the outer box is another sign. A tub with no legible expiry or batch is a problem of its own, because nobody can tell how old it is.

We arrange this by specialist collection. We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical. It is normally packed in a general laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Record what is actually in the container before asking for a collection: tube or tub, approximate fill, expiry if readable, and whether it has been opened. The paperwork route depends on setting. For unwanted silver sulfadiazine medicinal cream from human healthcare, 18 01 09 is the usual code for medicines other than cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines. Separate laboratory stocks must be classified according to their actual composition and waste origin before selecting a code. Unwanted cream does not belong in the sink, sharps bin or ordinary bin, and nobody should try to squeeze it out or wipe it down a drain. Keep the item in its box or in a sealed bag, and request a specialist collection from the carrier.

Usually held as: 1% cream.

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.