Disposal of medicines

Re: Disposal of medicines

Alan Tevendale — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:11:03 GMT

Thanks Niall and Bob, just what I was looking for. Cheers.

Re: Disposal of medicines

bob lehner — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:19:28 GMT

from the FAQ area of the BVA website section on Hazardous Waste:

Q3. Can I collect hazardous waste produced by a client and take it back to the practice for disposal?
A. You can, but you may need consignment notes, depending on where you collect the waste from. If you collect hazardous waste produced by a client at a domestic premises, then you can simply collect the waste from them and dispose of it with the practice’s waste streams. Consignment notes are not needed. You cannot receive payment for collecting the waste but can charge for the bin and the cost of disposal.

If, however, you are collecting the waste from a client such as a farmer or from any other non-domestic premises a consignment note must be completed. This is because the waste was not produced by you and by removing it you become the consignee. The Environment Agency have put in a limited fees derogation which means as long as the waste is consigned to the vet from the farm, and the returns are sent, they’ll allow it to be summarised as one movement – so could cost no more than £10 a quarter in fees if reported electronically. [Back to top]

Q4. Do I have an obligation to collect waste from treatments that I have supplied to clients for use at home, such as syringes and needles?
A. No, you do not have a duty to collect waste from clients. It is their responsibility to ensure that the waste is disposed of correctly. However, you should advise the client of how to dispose of the waste, which may include returning it to the practice or collection by the local authority (where such a service is available). You should also advise the client of how to store and transport the waste. This is particularly important in the case of sharps, when the client should purchase a sharps box. You can sell these via your practice or they are available online from various sources [Back to top]

Re: Disposal of medicines

Niall Taylor — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:42:32 GMT

The BVA guide to handling vet waste can be found here.

I looked at this in considerable detail a couple of years ago, as we were revising our waste policy, and absolutely nowhere does it say it is the supplier's responsibility to dispose of waste from clients. Such an idea is patently ridiculous and your client is trying it on. Next time he brings his bottles/sharps etc to the surgery for disposal, ask to see his license to transport medical waste.

Mike Jessop is the great guru on this subject. Is there any way you could contact him? But seriously, this has nothing to do with legislation, it is a matter for practice policy. Don't waste any more time on it - you're right, your client is wrong, tell him to take the proverbial long walk off the short pier.

Cheers,

Niall