NTP Best Practice Guideline

DEA Diversion Control Program Logo and Banner

Publications > Manuals > NTP Best Practice Guideline > Disposal of Medication > Spillage and Accountable Loss > Spillage of Individual Patient Dose

Disposal of Medication

When spillage of an individual patient dose occurs, the following should take place:

The employee who spilled the medication or who witnessed a patient spilling the medication should immediately report the incident to a supervisor.
After the spilling of medication has been reported to a supervisor, the medication should be properly disposed of.
Documentation of spillage should be completed, indicating the drug, its strength and amount, and the date of spillage and signed by both the employee involved and a supervisor.
Documentation of spillage should be maintained in a readily retrievable manner and reviewed periodically to determine if a pattern is developing.
Documentation of spillage does not need to be sent to the local DEA diversion field office, but should be available for inspection by DEA.
Any liquid or dust resulting from a spill or from the process of compounding diskettes should not be sent to DEA. Rather, these materials should be disposed of immediately in a manner that will prevent any further use of the medication, and should be witnessed by the employee involved and the supervisor.
This disposal should be documented by the NTP and be maintained in their records in a readily retrievable manner.