I am a nurse in an acute care hospital. I was reviewing the College’s Medication practice standard but could not find information about the requirements to sign for narcotic use or disposing of narcotic waste. Where would I find this information?

Narcotics are regulated under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which is a federal legislation that is administered by the Office of Controlled Substances of Health Canada.

Each organization is responsible for following these regulations and deciding which methods they use to store and count narcotics within their specific setting.

Additionally, your organization may have policies that include other responsibilities and expectations for nurses dealing with controlled substances. You must be familiar with these policies.