Hazardous Drugs

摘要

Advancements in pharmaceutical and biological technology have resulted in the introduction of an increasing number of hazardous drugs each year. NIOSH (2004) defines hazardous drug as "any drug identified by at least one of the following six criteria: carcinogenicity, teratogenicity or developmental toxicity reproductive toxicity in humans, organ toxicity at low doses in humans or animals, genotoxicity or new drugs that mimic existing hazardous drugs in structure or toxicity." The increase in drug volume has increased the potential for occupational exposure, which has prompted many healthcare organizations to reevaluate current controls. In 2004, NIOSH published guidelines to prevent employee exposure to hazardous drugs during preparation, administration and disposal in healthcare facil- ities. These guidelines follow previously published guidelines from the Oncology Nursing Society (2003), the American Society of Healthcare Pharmacists (ASHP, 2000) and OSHA (1986). This article discusses how a large medical center conducted a risk assessment relative to hazardous drugs and systematically established organizational best practices.