Xylazine (CAS 7361-61-7): storage and disposal
Sedative injection vials in a veterinary practice, kept for large and small animals, are where xylazine is held. It is a Class C controlled drug in Schedule 4 Part 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, and it is classified as toxic if swallowed, with a danger signal word. Vials tend to sit in the dispensary in several sizes, and part-used vials are the ones that accumulate.
- CAS number
- 7361-61-7
- 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.
Class C and Schedule 4 Part 1 under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, per the Home Office letter of 12 January 2026.
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
The classification as toxic if swallowed puts it in a locked cabinet with a stock record, away from food and drink areas, well apart from acids and from oxidising stock. Toxic and oxidising chemicals are stored apart because a reaction could release toxic vapours. In a veterinary practice the cabinet should be inside the dispensary rather than the prep room, and large multi-dose vials should be shelved upright. Each opened vial carries the date it was first used. Vet bags and vehicles that carry vials need the same record. Check the count against the book whenever a delivery is booked in.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Look at the vial as well as the liquid. A clear solution that has become cloudy, coloured or full of particles is not sound. Check the rubber stopper for a cracked or perished surface, a metal cap that has lifted, a leaking seal that has dried to a crust, a cracked glass shoulder and a label that has been rubbed away by a vehicle or a bag. Few other changes are visible, so the date, the stock book and the container carry the judgement. Any vial that is undated, unlabelled or past its date goes on the collection list.
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.
Leaving the practice, each vial is listed by product name, strength, volume left and condition, because a part-used multi-dose vial and a sealed new one are different descriptions. Veterinary medicinal waste must be classified using the actual product formulation, with 18 02 08 applying to other medicines and 18 02 07* where the medicine counts as cytotoxic or cytostatic under the waste classification guidance. Neat laboratory stock is assessed separately. The appropriate documentation follows the confirmed classification. Out-of-date vials must not go in the clinical waste, a sharps bin, a sink or the general bin. Nobody should try to empty the vial or treat the contents. Because it is a controlled drug, send a manual enquiry, and the veterinary surgeon responsible for controlled drugs decides how it is dealt with.
| Usual EWC code, laboratory stock | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 08* |
| Veterinary setting | 18 02 08 |
| 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: injection.
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.
Precautionary statements
- P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
- P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- P301+P316 IF SWALLOWED: Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
- P330 Rinse mouth.
- 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
Can expired xylazine vials go into the clinical waste?
No. It is a controlled drug and is classified as toxic if swallowed, so expired and part-used vials are not clinical waste. Keep them in a locked store with the record and send a manual enquiry.
Should part-used vials be listed separately from sealed ones?
Yes. Give each vial's product name, strength, approximate volume left and condition. A part-used multi-dose vial with a pierced stopper is a different description from a sealed vial.
Where in a practice should it be stored?
In a locked cabinet in the dispensary with a stock record, away from food and drink, acids and oxidising stock. Keep vials upright and date them when first used.
How can we tell a vial is past use?
Look for cloudiness, colour change, particles, a perished stopper, a lifted cap, leaks and an unreadable label. If it is undated, or past its printed date, list it for collection.
