A Note on Health Risks Presented by Exposure to Hazardous Drugs

Drug handling procedures involves the risks ofbreathing problem, loss of eye sight, vomiting,
leakage and accidental spills, which causesdizziness, skin rashes, allergic reactions, etc. can be
healthcare workers to get exposed to toxicthe part of the hazards discussion lists of these
agents present within the hazardous drugs. Theseharmful agents.
toxic chemicals have immense potentials to putSurveys conducted in several healthcare settings
worker and people in nearby environment to thehave established that around 10-12 different drugs
risks of several diseases. Various studies on theand 2-3 therapies, which involves active human
action of hazardous drugs causing contaminationcarcinogens are in practice as the treatment
of healthcare personnel and surfaces of workingprocedures. These drugs when exposed produce
equipments, have reported that use of cytotoxicthe risks of cancer in the workers handling them
drugs are the main reasons of health havoc induring monitoring of patients. All these information
workplaces of these drugs.put forward the effective control actions in
Many reputed and important healthcaredesigning procedures which will results out in no or
organizations have presented alerts onreduced exposure to hazardous substances.
occupational exposure of workers to hazardousDue to the active participation and growing
drugs and have addressed the lists ofconcern of several healthcare facilities, medical
abnormalities and health defects these drugs canorganizations and other regulatory agencies, it has
cause when exposed to lives. These drugs canbeen possible to reduce the percentage of
produce serious impacts on the reproductiveoccupational exposures to hazardous drugs. The
systems and can affect the normal growth ofproper usage of personal protective equipments,
fetus. Frequent abortions rate, loss of fertility,good work practices and implementation of
abnormal development of fetus, and othersafety devices such as biological safety cabinets
congenital malformations are some of theand closed system drug transfer devices, have
reproductive disorders these drugs can results in.made possible to produce effective results.
Besides, numerous disorders such as nausea,