Old/expired controlled substances procedures

[OUT OF DATE: THE OLD] Instructions for using controlled substances/drugs:

Controlled substances/drugs used for anesthesia or pharmacology are kept in a locked box in a locked drawer. The code to the drawer key and the location of the key to the locked box will only be given to people who have done the requisite trainings and have been instructed on proper usage of the substances by qualified people (Steve, Jenn, Arani, Jared). YOU CANNOT USE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES UNLESS PERSONALLY INSTRUCTED ON THE PROCEDURES BY ANY ONE OF THE ABOVE PEOPLE. Once personally instructed, you should try to remember a few simple things every time you use a substance:

1. Every vial/bottle in the locked box has a number on it (starts with SV followed by a numerical, e.g., SV001, SV002 etc). Be sure to note the number on the bottle you are drawing from.

2. There is a blue binder in the same drawer, alongside the locked box. The binder contains a usage sheet for every vial/bottle of drug that is in the box, identified according to the number on the vial/bottle. Find the sheet corresponding to the bottle you drew from, and then fill in the information. EVERY SINGLE USE of a controlled substance must be logged in to its corresponding sheet. Forgetting to do so repeatedly will result in revocation of your permission to use controlled substances.

3. Before you break open a new vial/bottle of any drug, make sure ALL the already opened ones are used up.

4. Usually, any new vial of drug that comes in gets immediately numbered even if it doesn't gets used immediately, and a numbered login sheet is started immediately. Therefore, if you open a new vial/bottle that is already numbered, it is likely that a sheet for that bottle is already there but empty. Find that sheet and log in any use in there, DO NOT unnecessarily start new sheets.

5. If you happen to receive a new vial/bottle of drug from a vendor that goes in to the locked box, do remember to put a number on it when you put it in the locked box and start a new sheet for it, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT OPEN IT OR START USING IT IMMEDIATELY. Check all the existing vials to find out what is the highest number (in the sense that SV002 is higher than SV001) already there, the new vial should get the next higher number (if SV012 is the highest, SV013 should be next). ALL VIALS/BOTTLES PLACED IN LOCKED BOX, OPEN OR UNOPENED, MUST HAVE A NUMBER ON IT.

6. Once a vial/bottle has been emptied, following the last entry on it's sheet write down EMPTY, and also write EMPTY on the bottle itself. Then keep the vial/bottle in the locked box, Arani/Jared will take care of it at a later date. DO NOT THROW OUT AN EMPTY BOTTLE ON YOUR OWN.

7. When a vial has been emptied, there is often a discrepancy between the last entry on 'amount left in bottle' column of it's sheet and the actual volume remaining. If the actual volume is zero (i.e., you cannot draw any more from it) but according to the sheet there should be some small amount still remaining, write "empty, remaining volume lost in transfer" in the 'amount left in bottle' column. If on the contrary there is still solution left in the vial but according to the sheet it should be zero, just continue drawing from the vial till it empties and keep putting zero in 'amount left in bottle' column.

8. Note that there are several kinds of vials/bottles in the box. Some are original store bought vials/bottles, some are dilutions made from those original stocks, and some are cocktails of two or more drugs prepared from original stocks. Still, they all have unique numbers. The type of dilution etc are noted on the labels on each vial/bottle. Be careful that you are drawing from the correct dilution/concentration.

9. If you make new dilutions or cocktails, YOU MUST MAKE IT IN A NEW VIAL, do not put the freshly made dilution or cocktail in an already used or emptied vial. Newly made dilutions/cocktails must have a newly numbered vial and a corresponding sheet started for them.

10. If ANY of these instructions are unclear or you have any questions, please ask Arani or Jared BEFORE you use any of the controlled substances.

11. We may NOT share controlled substances with other labs, or borrow controlled substances from other labs. We just can't do it, period. If a protocol has 2 or more PIs on it, the drugs may be drawn from any of the PIs' labs.