Disposal of medicinal products
- Scott Price1 and
- Alex Tait2
- Head of General Assessment Team, VMD, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3LS
- Head of Human and Environmental Safety, VMD, Woodham Lane, New Haw, Surrey KT15 3LS
- e-mail: s.price{at}vmd.defra.gsi.gov.uk
THE Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has received a number of inquiries from veterinary practices concerning the disposal of waste medicinal products and their classification as hazardous waste.
The responsibility for the legislation and policy surrounding the correct disposal of waste lies with the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) in Northern Ireland, not the VMD.
Special requirements apply when disposing of waste that has been classified as hazardous. Medicines with cytotoxic or cytostatic properties …
