University Committee on Animal Care

Use of Expired Medical Supplies and Drugs in Animals

The University Committee on Animal Care (UCAC) and the attending veterinarian are responsible for ensuring that proposed animal activities avoid or minimize discomfort, distress, and pain to all animals used at ETSU. These responsibilities cannot be met unless the UCAC and the veterinarian maintain control over the use of expired medical materials.

The use of expired medical materials, such as drugs and fluids or sutures, is not considered to be acceptable veterinary practice and does not constitute adequate veterinary care as required by federal regulations and guidelines; therefore, expired medical supplies and drugs must not be used on animals.

However, the UCAC agrees that certain expired medical materials may be used for acute, terminal (non-survival) procedures, if their use does not adversely affect the animal's well-being or compromise the validity of the scientific study.

If expired medical supplies or drugs are used in a laboratory or surgical facility these materials must be stored in an appropriately labeled, physically separate location away from non-expired medical materials.

Under no circumstances may emergency drugs or drugs administered to relieve pain or distress, such as anesthetics, analgesics, sedatives, tranquilizers and euthanasia solutions, be used beyond their expiration date.

Approved by the ETSU University Committee on Animal Care: November 20, 1999