ACU Program Announces Second Annual GOLD Day

• All drugs and other medical materials (including biologics, fluids, vehicles, supplies, etc.) must be stored in accordance with:

  • Manufacturer recommendations
  • U-M requirements
  • State of Michigan/DEA regulations (where applicable)

• Items must be clearly labeled as expired AND segregated from non-expired items until they can be appropriately discarded (see Dispose tab below)

• Review the Controlled Substances in Research Monitoring Program website for information about securing and storing controlled substances

• Create and maintain a regular (e.g., monthly) schedule for reviewing substance expiration dates in your laboratory

• Assign an individual, or individuals, in your laboratory to routinely monitor and organize substances, including a regular check of expiration dates. This individual should also serve as the point person for questions or concerns others in your laboratory may have about applicable policies and procedures

Download the Quick Reference Sheet: Monitoring Expired Drugs & Medical Materials  for additional suggestions and best practices for developing a system to monitor expired materials in your laboratory.

• Check that all drugs, pharmaceuticals, and medical materials are current with labels that clearly indicate expiration dates

• Verify that all sutures and dated medical supplies are within their expiration date OR segregated AND clearly labeled for in-vitro or terminal use only

• Some pharmaceutics (e.g., items removed from their original container for dilution or combination with other agents) may have a “Use By Date” that differs from the product’s original expiration date. When a product’s shelf life is modified (i.e., shortened) based on when the product is opened for use/dilution, use whichever date (either “Use By Date” or “Original Expiration Date”) OCCURS FIRST to determine the product’s expiration

• For supplies that do not have expiration dates, consider writing ‘No Exp’ on the bottle or package to easily identify these materials 

For detailed labeling and storage instructions, review the following documents:

• Policy on the Use, Storage, and Expiration of Substances, Agents, and Medical Materials Used in Animals
• Guidelines on the Preparation of Injectable Substances and Agents Administered to Animals
• Guidelines for the Storage of Sterile Items

• Review the EHS Hazardous Waste website for detailed guidance and instructions on properly disposing of regulated waste, including:

  • Chemical waste
  • Radioactive waste
  • Biological waste
  • Universal waste

• Contact EHS Hazardous Materials Management at (734) 763-4568 or complete an online Waste and Supply Request Form to request waste pick up or supplies

• For information about properly disposing of select substances in sanitary drains, download the EHS Criteria to Dispose Substances in Sanitary Drains document

• Instructions for appropriately disposing of sharps can be found in the EHS Preparing Biohazardous Sharps Waste for Collection SOP

• Visit the Controlled Substances Monitoring Program website for required documentation and disposal steps for controlled substances