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Why Every School Nurse Should Have a Deterra® Drug Deactivation System

School nurses often end up with various medications, often expired, filling up the cabinets of their office. Whether a student leaves the district, a parent can’t pick it up, or it is just forgotten, the left-behind medications can be frustrating for nurses to manage. Medications become expired. Storage is tight. And the bottles keep piling up! If you find yourself in this situation, do you know how to properly dispose of the medication?

The DEA’s Disposal of Controlled Substances Brief requires the destruction of controlled substances. While it does not specify a method of disposal and destruction, it does require that the substances be non-retrievable (i.e. the substance has gone through a process that alters it so that it is unavailable and unusable) and not capable of being transformed into a controlled substance.

Once the medication is non-retrievable, it’s no longer subject to DEA regulations and it must be destroyed in a manner that meets all Federal, State, tribal, and local laws and regulations.

What can I use to destroy medication?

The Deterra® Drug Deactivation System meets the “non-retrievable” DEA standards. The system is powered by a proprietary MAT12® Molecular Adsorption Technology which deactivates prescription drugs using activated carbon. The technology is highly effective in absorbing and firmly binding pharmaceuticals, rendering them inert, unavailable for misuse and safe for the environment.

Advantages of the Deterra® Drug Deactivation System include:

  • Low Cost
    The Deterra® is a low-cost way of getting rid of unused and unwanted pills, liquids and patches at home and in clinical settings.
  • Easy and Effective
    Simply follow the instructional video on our website and once the bag is full, throw it away in the regular garbage. No special disposal required!
  • Environmentally Safe
    The Deterra® pouch is made from environmentally friendly material. This allows for the degradation of the plastic pouch and zipper through the use of organic additives that are consumed by microbes found in landfills. The result is the release of water and carbon dioxide, with little organic biomass left behind. This greatly reduces the amount of material left in landfills.

Click here to learn more about the Deterra® Drug Deactivation System. Note that we sell the system in a variety of sizes to meet your specific needs. Be sure to watch the instructional video and read the FAQ’s which are included on each product page! If you have any additional questions, please contact us.

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