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NIOSH Issues Alert on Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs
In March, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued an important Alert identifying the risks to healthcare workers involved in handling antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs.
The Alert developed from solid scientific evidence through the review of more than 140 references to environmental and occupational exposure among healthcare workers.
It includes recommendations for employers and workers of appropriate measures to protect the health and reduce the exposure risks.
The Alert, titled “Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings,” reflects years of work by physician, nurse, pharmacist and scientific experts in collaboration with members of the broadbased NIOSH Hazardous Drug Safe Handling working group.
The Alert recommends that employers improve environmental and employee protection where hazardous drugs are handled. Specific benefits of closed systems called out in the Alert include:
• Demonstration in an investigation that the use of a closed-system device reduced the percentage of urine samples with measurable levels cytotoxic drugs.
• Closed-system devices limit the potential for aerosol generation, and therefore exposure to contamination.
Baxa Corporation offers the only closed system for safe handling of antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs. This system, PhaSeal®, uses dry connections and a built-in expansion chamber to prevent drug aerosol leakage and subsequent transfer into the work environment. As a closed system, it contains hazardous drugs throughout the entire process of drug transfer, preparation, transport, administration and disposal – eliminating the risks of environmental and occupational exposure.
Baxa has a technical paper summarizing the key points in the NIOSH Alert, and its recommendations. If you’d like a copy of this paper, please click here. Note you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat to view this file.
The complete 93-page Alert is now available on the NIOSH Web site at: www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-HazDrugAlert.
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