Chemotherapy drugs such as antineoplastics and cytotoxics, as well as other hazardous drugs, are potent toxic agents that pose a grave health risk to healthcare workers, including waste workers. The 2019 release of standards and recommendations by the United States Pharmacopeia General Chapter 800 (also known as the USP 800) brought important attention and guidance to handling hazardous drugs in healthcare settings.
To provide a more in-depth view of studies on the extent and modes of contamination ranging from the pharmacy to patient administration to treatment and disposal of chemotherapeutic waste, this whitepaper covers:
- The complexity of detecting chemotherapeutic drug residue in healthcare workplaces and workers
- How healthcare workers not considered high-risk are often unknowingly exposed to hazardous drug residue
- The challenges of cleaning, disinfecting, and deactivating hazardous drug residue
- Conclusions on safe practices of trace chemotherapy waste disposal
Partner with Stericycle to learn about our safe and compliant Pharmaceutical Waste and Biohazardous Waste Disposal services.
