June 11, 2007—The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a publication to help protect the estimated 5.5 million health care workers and related personnel in the US who are exposed to hazardous drugs in the workplace.
Workplace Solutions: Medical Surveillance for Health Care Workers Exposed to Hazardous Drugs (April 2007; DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 2007-117) recommends that employers establish a medical surveillance program to protect these workers.
The workers include pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, nursing personnel, physicians, operating room personnel, shipping and receiving personnel, waste handlers, maintenance workers, and workers in veterinary practices.
According to the publication, workers may be exposed to hazardous drugs when they create aerosols, generate dust, clean up spills, or touch contaminated surfaces when preparing, administering, or disposing of hazardous drugs, notes NIOSH.
The publication lists the elements of a medical surveillance program for healthcare workers and others who may come into contact with patient wastes. The elements include preliminary and periodic health questionnaires, laboratory work, a physical examination, and follow-up in certain cases.
If health changes are found, the publication lists actions the employer should take, beginning with evaluating current protective measures such as engineering controls (biological safety cabinets/isolators, ventilation, closed system transfer devices, and closed IV systems) and PPE (personal protective equipment) policies and availability.
Additional information about hazardous drug exposure in health care is available on the NIOSH Web site.
