Hazardous Drugs
Introduction
OSHA says worker exposure to hazardous drugs is a major health concern for workers in healthcare facilities and the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacy employees are considered to be working in the healthcare industry.
- Healthcare employees are most concerned with the preparation, administration, and disposal of hazardous medications.
- Pharmaceutical employees are most concerned with the preparation manufacturing, testing, and disposal of hazardous drugs.
These activities can expose hundreds of thousands of workers nation-wide to potentially significant workplace levels of these harmful chemicals.
Health Effects
Hazardous drugs can cause serious acute and chronic health effects such as skin rashes, fertility problems, genetic damage, birth defects, organ toxicity, and possibly leukemia and other cancers.
Potentially harmful exposure can occur when you handle or work around hazardous drugs. These drugs include antineoplastic cytotoxic medications, anesthetics, anti-viral drugs, hormones, and others.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. Who is most concerned about exposure during the preparation, administration and disposal of hazardous medications?
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