| The past few decades have witnessed some | | | | the exposure of workers to such hazardous |
| serious research conducted to protect workers | | | | drugs. Some of these controls include the use of |
| employed in the health care industry from the | | | | closed system transfer devices, biological safety |
| risks of occupational exposure to hazardous drugs. | | | | cabinets and personal protective equipments. The |
| Medicines used for chemotherapy may cause | | | | biological safety cabinets protect sterile product |
| serious health effects to persons administering | | | | from contamination and move the airflow away |
| them though they act as life saving devices for | | | | from the worker. Personal Protective equipments |
| the patients. For instance, exposure to | | | | like gloves, gowns and caps protect nurses |
| Antineoplastics and other Cytotoxic agents may | | | | against contamination while administering |
| lead to short term and long term health effects | | | | medications and handling patient excreta. |
| like allergies of the skin, miscarriage, fetal | | | | Occupational exposure to hazardous drugs |
| malformations, reproductive disorders and even | | | | through plunger and open barrel contamination, |
| various forms of cancer. | | | | drug spill during transfer from vial to syringe, and |
| The hospital staff can be exposed to harmful | | | | transfer between containers can cause severe |
| medications through different ways which include | | | | health hazards. |
| inhalation of aerosols and vapors, absorption into | | | | Several equipments and machines are available |
| the skin through direct contact, ingestion and | | | | that help minimize exposure to dangerous |
| accidental needle jabs. Other causes of | | | | medicines. However, lack of standard policies and |
| Occupational exposure to hazardous drugs are | | | | methods to implement safety measures and the |
| faulty operator techniques resulting in escape of | | | | reluctance of nurses and other health care |
| chemical aerosols. Accidental spilling of medicine | | | | personnel to use personal protective equipment |
| can also contaminate the work surfaces and | | | | has resulted in increasing cases of health problems |
| expose the laboratory and hospital staff to risk. In | | | | caused through contamination and exposure to |
| some instances, cleaning of work surfaces | | | | chemicals. Effective implementation of safety |
| contaminated by drug leakage and spills also pose | | | | measures is possible by framing policies and |
| risk to the health of nurses, physicians and others | | | | training the staff on the precautions to be taken |
| involved in handling, preparing and administering | | | | while handling and administering hazardous |
| them. | | | | medicines. |
| Engineering controls are being devised to control | | | | |