NIOSH's Approaches to Reducing Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs

摘要

Based on growing evidence of contamination of healthcare settings with hazardous drugs and reports of worker exposure to these drugs, NIOSH convened a Working Group on Hazardous Drugs in 2000. Since that time, NIOSH has been actively involved in several endeavors aimed at reducing healthcare workers' exposure to hazardous drugs. NIOSH has successfully partnered with government agencies, professional organizations and academia to achieve these goals. Approaches related to NIOSH's goals have included: method development for sampling and analysis of hazardous drugs; field studies to evaluate worker exposure; and development of several guidance documents related to hazardous drug exposure. These have included an Alert on hazardous drugs, several Workplace Solutions documents on specific safe handling issues, and a guidance document addressing potential adverse reproductive effects of hazardous drugs. As a result of these activities, NIOSH has helped raise awareness of the issues surrounding workplace exposures to hazardous drugs in healthcare settings. This awareness has resulted in several states adopting legislation based entirely or in part on the Alert on hazardous drugs and professional organizations patterning their safe handling recommendations on the NIOSH Alert.