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Environmental Health & Safety

Controlled Substance Waste

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Enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, the Controlled Substances Act is designed to ensure a system of security and accountability in the procurement, use, storage, and disposal of controlled substances. The TCU Office of Research, in collaboration with the Hazardous Material Safety Manager, oversees the Controlled Substances in Research Program, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state regulations pertaining to controlled substances in the teaching and research setting at TCU. The Program provides guidance to faculty, investigators, and research staff on obtaining a required Drug Enforcement Administration registration/license.

The TCU Office of Research no longer financially supports licenses and disposal for DEA Registrants - this is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator. Procedures for disposal and destruction of controlled substances are as follows:

  1. The DEA Registrant is responsible for proper disposal of any controlled substance in their possession. The preferred method of disposal of controlled substances is complete use of the substance. The registrant must properly dispose of any controlled substance in their possession prior to retiring, leaving TCU, or allowing their registration to expire. Failure to do so is a violation of DEA regulations and the registrant may be subject to penalty that may include fines and imprisonment. 
  2. Controlled substances consumed in a reaction or converted into a hazardous waste mixture from which a controlled substance is not recoverable may be disposed of through routine waste disposal with TCU Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). If a controlled substance has expired, is no longer needed, or if the registrant is discontinuing research due to retirement or new employment, then the registrant should contact EHS in a timely manner for disposal procedures. To schedule a pickup of hazardous waste, submit the Request for Disposal through the Hazardous Material Safety Manager.
  3. Empty bottles from controlled substances must be triple-rinsed with tap water then disposed of in any appropriate waste container.
  4. The registrant may dispose of out-of-date, damaged, or otherwise unusable or unwanted controlled substances, include samples, to a registrant who is authorized to receive such materials. These registrants are referred to as "Reverse Distributors." The registrant shall contact the Dallas DEA Field Office Division Office for a list of authorized Reverse Distributors. Schedule I and II controlled substances should be transferred via the DEA Form 222, while Schedule III-V controlled substances may be transferred via an invoice. All disposal records must be kept at the registrants' location for a period of two years (DEA Drug Disposal Information. 

For additional information, refer to TCU's Controlled Substances Procedures.

For questions about waste pickup, contact the Hazardous Material Safety Manager at 817-257-5395 or safety@tcu.edu. 

Resources & Forms
DEA Drug Disposal Information
DEA Form 41 - Registrant Record of Controlled Substance Destroyed
21 CFR 1317 - Disposal
TCU Policy: Use of Controlled Substances and List Chemicals in Research