Skip to main content
Environmental Health & Safety

Controlled Substance Waste

Main Content

Enforced under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 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 Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office, oversees the Controlled Substances in Research Program, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state regulations pertaining to controlled substances in the teaching and research settings at TCU. The Program provides guidance to faculty, Principal Investigators (PI), and research staff on obtaining a required DEA registration/license.

The TCU Office of Research no longer financially supports licenses and disposal for DEA Registrants - this is the responsibility of the PI. 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 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 a Request for Disposal to EHS at safety@tcu.edu.
  3. Empty bottles from controlled substances must be triple-rinsed with tap water then disposed of in any appropriate waste container. The water rinse must be collected and disposed of as hazardous waste.
  4. The registrant may dispose of out-of-date, damaged, unusable,or unwanted controlled substances, including samples, to a registrant who is authorized to receive such materials. These registrants are referred to as "Reverse Distributors." The registrant shall contact the DEA Dallas Division Field 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. 

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

For questions about waste pickup, contact EHS at safety@tcu.edu or 817-257-5395. 

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