Over 8 million healthcare workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs (HDs). The pharmacy and nursing staffs involved in mixing and administering HDs are at the highest risk for exposure. Due to the aging United States population, by 2050, the number of cancer cases is expected to double, increasing the use of antineoplastic drugs and leading to even higher levels of exposure (1).
I had the pleasure of attending the ASHP summer meeting last week in Baltimore, Maryland. The meeting was jam packed with discussions around the most prominent industry topics in pharmacy. Patricia Kienle, RPh, MPA, FASHP, Ellen Kessler, MD, MPH, FACP, and MiKaela Olsen, APRN-CNS, MS, AOCNS®, led an extremely educational session titled, The Unforeseen Dangers: Managing Hazardous Drugs Outside of the Pharmacy.
This two hour session took a deep dive into how hazardous drugs move from the pharmacy to the point of administration and how providers can ensure the safety of not only pharmacy technicians and pharmacists, but also nurses, other health care workers and patients. The presentation covered the following topics:
- Overview of USP <800> Handling Hazardous Drugs
- Medical Surveillance for Healthcare Workers Handling Hazardous Drugs
- Safe Administration of Hazardous Drugs
The push for safer creation and administration processes around HDs is crucial to protect health care workers as well as patients. The full presentation from the session is available on the ASHP summer meeting eventScribe website.
- Kienle, Patricia, Ellen Kessler, and MiKaela Olsen. "The Unforeseen Dangers: Managing Hazardous Drugs Outside of the Pharmacy."Unforeseen Dangers: Managing Hazardous Drugs Outside the Pharmacy(n.d.): n. pag. EventScribe. ASHP, 2016. Web. 22 June 2016.
- Image: "Chemotherapy Administration And Side Effects Save This for Later." Chemotherapy Administration and Side Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2016.
