| Today is the world of drugs and medicines, as | | | | healthcare organizations such as OSHA and NIOSH |
| these have been the most inevitable and essential | | | | have published drug handling guidelines to reduce |
| requirements of our life. These drugs are the | | | | the extent of exposure to these drugs in the |
| most amazing discovery of man towards | | | | workplaces. Workers and staffs handling these |
| mankind. They possess ultimate capability to | | | | drugs are prone to the risks of being in direct |
| withstand dreadful diseases such as cancer and | | | | contact with them during their preparation, |
| tumor. Having such tremendous success and huge | | | | administration, monitoring, transfer and disposal |
| achievements of these drugs in the field of | | | | processes. To limit workers probability of |
| medical science, what made healthcare | | | | exposure, several protective equipments such as |
| organizations to be worried about the occupational | | | | closed systems, biological safety cabinets, etc. has |
| exposure to most of these drugs? | | | | been designed. They are instructed to use |
| Studies conducted on various drug compositions | | | | personal protective equipments such as masks, |
| have shown that the major constituents used in | | | | gloves, gowns, lab. Courts etc. and take |
| manufacturing drugs are several chemical | | | | necessary precautionary measures while |
| substances which are hazardous in nature. When | | | | monitoring these drugs. |
| such chemicals including antineoplastic agents, | | | | These safety guidelines calls different healthcare |
| cytotoxic agents, antiviral and immunosuppressive | | | | industries such as hospitals, medical clinics, drug |
| agents are used in drug preparation, then the | | | | manufacturing plants and many other sectors |
| drugs are designated as hazardous drugs. As all | | | | dealing with pharmaceuticals, to recruit well trained |
| these chemicals have inherent toxicities to | | | | medical staffs and employees. Further all these |
| produce health disorders when exposed to lives, | | | | sectors should have facilities of advanced training |
| healthcare settings are looking for alternatives for | | | | on handling newly designed safety equipments and |
| their minimal use in useful drug preparation. | | | | recently developed treatment techniques. They |
| Surveys and research works are still going on for | | | | should also incorporate medical surveillance |
| new and effective solutions against these | | | | programs to monitor the level of exposure of |
| hazardous drugs. As the discovery of better | | | | these drugs in workers. |
| substitutes will definitely take time so, major | | | | |