Hazardous Drug Handling Awareness Among Faculty Members

Background: Hazard to the health care professionals from hazardous drugs and chemicals rooted out from intrinsic toxicity and the level of exposure to these drugs in the course of their job responsibilities. Any drug or chemical, which can cause genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity or fertility impairment and significant organ or other toxicities, will be consider as occupational hazard. Plenty of scientific reports proved the involvement of hazardous drug to the adverse health outcomes of the workers due to the absorption of these drugs while performing their duties. Similarly, the scientist dealing with numerous hazardous chemicals and drugs in health care industry are at higher risk of exposure. Material and Method: In order to determine the level of awareness of safe handling of hazardous drugs and chemicals among faculty members, a survey was conducted with a written consent in college of clinical pharmacy involved in basic health care research. Results: Survey results determined that, more than 70 percent of faculty members were aware of hazardous drugs or chemicals and know how to handle these chemicals. More than 80 percent were unaware of any hazardous drug program or proper engineering control, there were less than 35 percent of members know how to deal with accidental spill or exposure of such drugs, whereas more than half of the faculty members population was unaware of the most common route of exposure of hazardous drugs. Conclusion: Hence, it is necessary to design a hazardous drug program and proper engineering control to train and educate researchers to prevent and control expected exposures of hazardous drugs according to the NIOSH recommendations.