Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs:
Expert Perspectives
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In September 2004, "Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings" was published by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). A link to the alert is found below, along with links to other backgrounding news releases and articles.
NIOSH calls for ventilated cabinets such as biological safety cabinets and containment isolators. Cabinet exhaust should be HEPA-filtered and exhausted to the outdoors away from air intake locations. Closed-system drug transfer devices, glove bags, and needleless systems can further protect workers from exposures to drug hazards. The closed-system device is in addition to familiar measures such as double gloves, gowns, caps, and face protection.
About 60% of the listed drugs are antineoplastic agents. The NIOSH alert also includes anti-infectives, contraceptives, estrogens, gonadotropins, oxytocics, skin and membrane agents, and other therapeutic agents. NIOSH said the list of dangerous drug products will be updated annually.
This site connects interested journalists to two experts on this topic: Jim Jorgenson, RPh, MS, Director for Pharmacy Services of Clarian Health in Indianapolis, and Martha Polovich, MN, RN, AOCN, an Associate Director of Clinical Practice at Duke Oncology Network. E-mail at the link below to arrange for interviews with Jim Jorgenson or Martha Polovich.
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James Jorgenson, RPh, MS
James A. Jorgenson, R.Ph., M.S., FASHP, is Executive Director for Pharmacy Services of Clarian Health in Indianapolis, IN. His responsibilities include the direction and leadership for all pharmacy programs at the Clarian Medical Center complex. Inpatient services provide direct pharmacy care for the 350-bed Indiana University Medical Center, the 276-bed Riley Children’s Hospital, the 54-bed Indiana University Simon Cancer Center, and the 1,000-bed Clarian Methodist Hospital. Ambulatory programs include nine retail pharmacies, a mail-order pharmacy and a variety of ambulatory clinical pharmacy services. Mr. Jorgenson earned a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and a master of science degree in hospital pharmacy from the University of Minnesota. He also completed a two-year residency in hospital pharmacy administration at United and Children's Hospital in St. Paul, MN. He has served on editorial and advisory boards for healthcare providers and industry. He has also been an active member of ASHP, serving on the ASHP Goals Committee, the Commission on Credentialing and the Councils for Legal and Public Affairs and Administrative Affairs and in numerous state-affiliated chapter positions. Mr. Jorgenson has authored more than 30 publications and has provided over 100 invited presentations both nationally and internationally. Previous to joining Clarian, Mr. Jorgenson was the Administrative Director for Pharmacy and the Associate Dean for Pharmacy at the University of Utah. He was also responsible for the operation of Drug Information Services supporting the 2002 Winter Olympic Games as well as the Polyclinic Pharmacy, which provided pharmacy services to the athletes and Olympic family. |
Martha Polovich, MN, RN, AOCN
Polovich is an experienced cancer educator and is co-author of "Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice" with Brown, K.A., Esper, P., Kelleher, L.O., O'Neill, J.E.B., & White, J.M. (Pittsburgh, PA 2001) and "Hazardous Drug Safe Handling" with the Oncology Nursing Society (Pittsburgh, PA, 2003). She received her diploma in nursing from Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, her BSN from Louisiana State University, and her MN in Adult Health Nursing from Louisiana State University.
At present Polovich is an Associate Director of Clinical Practice at Duke Oncology Network. Ms. Polovich brings over 20 years worth of experience and expertise as an Oncology Clinical Nurse. Her commitment and dedication to helping women and men fight cancer and reclaim their health and life is unsurpassed. Ms. Polovich has played a key role in raising breast cancer awareness in Atlanta area and has successfully implemented various Breast Health Education Programs and Comprehensive Lymphedema Education Projects. Interviewed by Hematology Oncology News & Issues, Polovich had this to say regarding the risks of mixing chemotherapy in the April 2004 issue: "They are genotoxic. They can cause birth defects if you're pregnant or actively trying to conceive. They can also cause miscarriage. They can cause cancer."
Polovich was also included in a hazardous handling article in the May/June 2005 Journal of Community Oncology: "Health hazard to community practice nurses: the ‘big worry.’ Side effects of handling toxic chemotherapeutic agents range from skin rashes to birth defects to cancer. If you work in a private practice, experts are especially worried about you." A link to a pdf of the article is found below.
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