| Exposure means vulnerability to or being | | | | mixing, administering, transferring and storing |
| influenced by anything. In this article, we shall | | | | these drugs. Serious and adverse health effects |
| discuss about the exposure to hazardous drugs. It | | | | have been noticed in personnel handling these |
| is rightly said that anything which is good has its | | | | hazardous medications. |
| bad side as well. This is equally true in the case of | | | | Nurses often do not take precautionary measures |
| certain medicines that are used for treating | | | | while handling harmful medicines and preparing the |
| deadly diseases. For instance the Antineoplastic | | | | right dose for the patient. Though health of the |
| agents used in Chemotherapy process of curing | | | | patient is given importance, little attention is paid |
| cancer can harmfully influence the nurses and | | | | to use personal protection equipment and follow |
| physicians administering the medicines to the | | | | safe procedures. Sometimes reluctance may be |
| patients. There is also threat from harmful | | | | because the gloves and gowns designed for |
| substances to the health of pharmacists and | | | | protection are considered cumbrous to use. Such |
| laboratory workers preparing and mixing the | | | | negligence and improper equipment may expose |
| medications. The main routes of exposure can be | | | | them to health hazards. The hospital staff |
| inhalation, ingestion, dermal absorption and | | | | entrusted with the task of removing patient |
| accidental needle injuries. This can create health | | | | excreta and cleaning floors and linen may be |
| problems like dermal infections and allergies, | | | | exposed to any residue of chemical substances |
| infertility, miscarriage, reproductive disorders, | | | | attached on these things. Though many |
| congenital malformations and cancer. | | | | equipments and devices have been recommended |
| Cytotoxic agents, antiviral drugs, oncological and | | | | for prevention against contamination, there have |
| non-oncological medicines and antineoplastic | | | | been an increase in the instances of affected |
| medicines need to be handled with proper care. All | | | | nurses, physicians and other people in the medical |
| the safety measures and guidelines for safe | | | | profession. It is believed that right training, |
| handling of such chemical substances need to be | | | | compliance of policies and proper implementation |
| strictly followed. Any lapse in the procedures | | | | of the same can reduce exposure to risks from |
| would lead to contamination of work surfaces, | | | | dangerous drugs. |
| instruments and apparatus used in production, | | | | |