High impact: collaborative partnerships and products of the NIOSH hazardous drug working group.
Source
Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2011-110, 2010 Oct; :1
Abstract
About 5.5 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs, including pharmacy and nursing personnel, physicians, environmental services workers, workers in research laboratories, veterinary care workers, and shipping and receiving personnel. Published studies have shown that workplace exposures to hazardous drugs can cause both acute and chronic health effects such as skin rashes, adverse reproductive outcomes, and possibly leukemia and other cancers. Healthcare workers who prepare or administer hazardous drugs or who work in areas where these drugs are used may be exposed to these agents in the workplace. The NIOSH Hazardous Drug Working Group consisted of representatives from government, labor, pharmacy, nursing, academia, research, pharmaceutical and safety equipment manufacturing, and trade associations. This group charged themselves to develop a NIOSH policy document that made a clear statement about the presumed health effects associated with hazardous drugs. They also identified the need for better information on glove material selection and for informative resources on the selection and use of engineering controls for protection against hazardous drug exposures. The group developed the following goals: 1) to enhance awareness of the problem; 2) to provide protective recommendations based upon current knowledge and 3) to identify, research and address gaps.
Keywords
Health-care-personnel; Health-hazards; Hazardous-materials; Drugs; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacy-workers; Nurses; Veterinarians; Laboratory-workers; Physicians; Doctors; Medical-personnel; Service-industries; Materials-handling; Materials-transport; Pharmaceutical-industry; Biological-effects; Health-programs; Health-standards; Safety-programs
Document Type
Numbered Publication; Impact Sheet
Identifying No.
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2011-110
Source Name
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
