Civil Unrest Q&A Destruction of Damaged C/S

Drug Enforcement Administration
Diversion Control Division
Civil Unrest Emergency Guidance Document
Title: Civil Unrest Q&A Pharmacy Destruction Options
Question: My pharmacy experienced damage due to civil unrest and now I have damaged drugs.
What should I do with them?
Answer: When possible, secure all drugs for assessment. Any controlled substances damaged
by fire or water, exposed to high temperatures, or otherwise damaged should be collected for
proper disposal. 	Any pharmacy that desires to dispose of controlled substances must do so in
accordance with the DEA regulations, including recordkeeping (21 CFR Part 1317). A
pharmacy can promptly destroy controlled substances by rendering them non-retrievable using
an on-site method of destruction. 	See 21 CFR 1317.05(a)(1). 	Alternatively, a pharmacy can
promptly deliver that controlled substance to a reverse distributor’s registered location by
common or contract carrier pick-up or by reverse distributor pick-up at the pharmacy’s registered
location. 	See 21 CFR 1317.05(a)(2).
Guidance documents, like this document, are not binding and lack the force and effect of law,
unless expressly authorized by statute or expressly incorporated into a contract, grant, or
cooperative agreement. Consistent with Executive Order 13891 and the Office of Management
and Budget implementing memoranda, the Department will not cite, use, or rely on any guidance
document that is not accessible through the Department’s guidance portal, or similar guidance
portals for other Executive Branch departments and agencies, except to establish historical
facts. To the extent any guidance document sets out voluntary standards (e.g., recommended
practices), compliance with those standards is voluntary, and noncompliance will not result in
enforcement action. Guidance documents may be rescinded or modified in the Department’s
complete discretion, consistent with applicable laws.
EO-DEA162, June 12, 2020