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Discussion

Wasting Procedures

Hi -

I am looking for some general information on proper methods to "waste" a narcotic. I am aware that most hospitals typically require a witness to the wasting, but would like to know more about appropriate methods of wasting. Can anybody help?

Thanks.

Featured Replies

Down the sink!

  • Author

Redshiloh -

You say down the sink... Can you explain more? Did you learn this principle in nursing school? Are there other appropriate places?

I do many things--pour IV narcotics down the sink, flush down the toilet, and I put some in the sharps container....with a witness of course. I'm not actually sure if our policy includes the exact method of wasting-or where exactly to waste-but I'll check.

  • Author

Chttynurs -

I understand the witness requirement. But how do you decide those places are proper for disposal? Is the topic dealt with at all in nursing school?

  • Experts

I depends on the consistency of the med. A syringe of demerol could be squirted in the sharps container or the sink. A tablet would go in the sink. A capsule would be opened and put down the sink. The witness would follow you to the appropriate area. We had a sink in the nurses station. If we hadn't then the hopper or the restroom sink. It comes up during clinicals and the instructor would show you the proper procedure.

  • Author

P_RN -

You say "during clinicals" - I'm assuming this means it's not learned from a text book, but is learned from an instructor verbally at some point? (FYI, I am not an RN...). Have you ever seen anything in writing that provides guidelines for appropriate places to waste?

Originally posted by JMH

P_RN -

You say "during clinicals" - I'm assuming this means it's not learned from a text book, but is learned from an instructor verbally at some point? (FYI, I am not an RN...). Have you ever seen anything in writing that provides guidelines for appropriate places to waste?

You are thinking too hard-over analyzing....you want to waste a narc into a secure receptacle of some kind..something that no-one could retrieve the drug from.You are almost always going to be preparing meds from a med cart or med room and will have appropriate eqipment at hand...I don't think I have ever read in any textbook exactly where to waste a narc-it's just a common sense thing....This is acommon mistake among students-instead of fretting about where to waste the narc you should concentrate on the 6 rights of med administration.....
  • Author

ktwlpn -

Thanks for the information. I'm actually not a nursing student either. I understand the premise of wasting in a secure receptacle. My problem is I have to prove that is common knowledge... which is hard to do when it's not written down anywhere!! Any suggestions on where to look?

  • Experts

http://www.pcs.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/policies/pcs/IV-91.htm

4. To Waste a Medication

a. If all or part of a controlled substance dose remains and cannot be returned to the Medstation for future use, it must be destroyed and documented on the system as a waste.

b. The Waste Med function requires another user to act as a witness to the wastage.

c. To document a waste on Medstation Rx, the user should:

1) Sign on and select Procedures

2) Select Waste Med

3) Select the patient

4) Select the medication to be wasted

5) Acquire the assistance of a witness, who will enter his/her ID and password.

6) Indicate the amount that was administered.

7) The witness should review and verify the entered waste transaction on the screen before proceeding.

d. Unused medication should be wasted by flushing in a sink or drain and witnessed by both persons.

e. It is not necessary to document the wastage of a non-controlled substance on the Medstation.

And I hope we are not doing research for a school paper. Are we?

  • Author

P-RN -

Nope, not a school paper. It's for a legal brief. I'm an attorney, hoping to show that throwing a pill in a trash can is not the best way to waste a narcotic...

  • Experts

Well JMH why didn't you say that in the first place? Just call a local hospital and ask to see their procedure manual. Ask the board of nursing.

  • Author

P_RN -

A specific hospital procedure manual won't do me too much good at this point. I'm hoping to show it's a wide spread, well-known principle. Ideally, I could have found it in a nursing text book! I will ask the board of nursing, though; thanks!

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