1. A. A licensed veterinarian shall oversee the handling, treatment and disposition of infectious waste including but not limited to carcasses, anatomical body parts, excretions, blood soiled articles or bedding that are generated from an animal that the licensed veterinarian knows or has reason to suspect has a disease that is capable of being transmitted to humans as provided under this section:

   1. (1) all infectious waste will be sterilized or disinfected by heat, steam, chemical disinfection, radiation or desiccation; and
   2. (2) infectious waste held for disposal shall be collected in sanitary leak resistant bags clearly labeled for biohazard disposal. The bag shall contain the gloves worn while collecting the waste and those used in treatment and post-mortem examinations of suspect animals.
2. B. All sharps shall be disposed of in appropriately labeled sharps containers. Such containers shall be rigid sided, solidly sealed containers that are highly resistant to puncture. These containers shall be incinerated or disposed of in an environmentally safe manner by a duly licensed disposer, an approved medical sharps incineration facility or shall be disposed of in such a way as to render the sharps harmless. This disposal shall not apply to infectious waste sharps contained in a puncture resistant container which should be disposed of as described in infectious waste disposal. Due to the small volume of sharps generated in a veterinary clinic, transportation of the filled, sealed containers shall not be mandated by nor limited to commercial haulers.

3. C. Drug disposal.

   1. (1) When feasible, unused or outdated drugs shall be returned to the manufacturer for disposal in accordance with the policies and procedures of the manufacturer.
   2. (2) All scheduled controlled substances which cannot be returned to the manufacturer shall be disposed of at one of the approved controlled drug disposers as approved by the board of pharmacy. A list of these disposers will be provided by the board of pharmacy.
   3. (3) Drugs which do not pose a problem for environmental hazard or are not controlled drugs may be disposed of in a sanitary, non-offensive manner by means of regular solid waste disposal methods.

4. D. A licensed veterinarian shall oversee the handling of waste materials that are generated from an animal that does not have a disease transmissible to humans or suspected of being contaminated with an agent capable of infecting humans as provided under this section:

   1. (1) Animal carcasses.

      1. (a) An animal carcass shall be disposed of promptly by release to owner, burial, cremation, incineration, commercial rendering or if permitted by local ordinance, placed in a public landfill.
      2. (b) If prompt disposal of an animal carcass is not possible, it shall be contained in a freezer or stored in a sanitary, non-offensive manner until such time as it can be disposed of as provided in (1)(a) above.
      3. (c) All remains stored at a veterinary clinic shall be duly identified with the case number or the owner's name and the name of the animal to prevent improper final disposal.
   2. (2) Tissues, specimens, bedding, animal waste and extraneous materials, not suspected of harboring pathogens infectious to humans shall be disposed of by approved city or county disposal methods.

5. E. In the event of the occurrence of a suspected foreign animal disease or disease of potential concern to state or national security, the licensed veterinarian will immediately contact the state department of agriculture, the U. S. department of agriculture and other departments that have jurisdiction over such an occurrence. The licensed veterinarian shall oversee the handling of all tissues, laboratory samples and biomedical waste associated with such cases in accordance with the recommendations made by the department of agriculture and other departments and agencies which are deemed necessary and appropriate in such cases.

   HISTORY OF 16.25.9 NMAC:

   Pre-NMAC History:

   BVE 88-7, Rules Governing Minimum Standards for the Practice of Veterinary Medicine, 10-14-88.

   BVE 92-8, Rules Governing Minimum Standards for the Practice of Veterinary Medicine, 5-22-92.

   BVE 93-8, Rules Governing Minimum Standards for the Practice of Veterinary Medicine, 6-3-93.

   History of Repealed Material:

   16 NMAC 25.9, Minimum Standards - Repealed, 9-1-00.

   16.25.9 NMAC, Minimum Standards - Repealed, 6-7-02.

   16.25.9 NMAC, Minimum Standards - Repealed effective 01-17-14.

[16.25.9.22 NMAC – Rp, 16.25.9.22 NMAC, 01/17/2014]