Lesson 6: Workplace Safety Flashcards
Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA)
establishes standards in order to create safe workplace environments, specifically (in the pharmacy) to protect from exposure to disease and chemicals
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
publishes standards to protect healthcare workers from contagious diseases
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulates disposal of pharmaceutical waste
United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
publishes guidelines for sterile and non-sterile compounding, and for hazardous medication disposal
material safety data sheet (MSDS)
contains basic information about a chemical or product and ensures proper handling by outlining potential risks and how to mitigate them, one MSDS for each hazardous chemical in use is required
universal precautions
the assumption that all human blood and certain other bodily fluids are infectious for HIV, HBV, and other blood-borne pathogens
standard precautions
CDC guidelines that act as a bare minimum: hand hygiene, PPE, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, appropriate patient placement, safe handling of textiles and laundry, safe injection practices, safe handling of sharps
infectious pathogens
cause infectious diseases (i.e., diseases resulting from a pathogenic agent entering the body and growing and multiplying there)
blood-borne pathogens
microorganisms that cause disease and are present in blood
aseptic technique
procedures for the sterile preparation and administration of parenteral (non-intestinal) medications, especially procedures for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting equipment and surfaces
USP <800> (definition)
standards for the safe disposal of hazardous medications and materials used in healthcare settings
USP <800> (recommendations)
(1) proper engineering controls, e.g., Laminar Air Flow Hood; (2) proper storage of hazardous drugs; (3) hand hygiene and PPE; (4) proper disposal of used hazardous drugs
hazardous drug (NIOSH/USP definition)
any drug that is carcinogenic, teratogenic, toxic to organs at low doses, toxic to reproductive functions, and/or genotoxic
USP <797> (definition)
the “gold standard” for proper aseptic technique in sterile compounding
USP <797> (recommendations)
(1) adequate training, (2) correct identity/quality/quantity of ingredients, (3) proper storage of open/partial containers, (4) minimization of bacterial endotoxin contamination, (5) proper and adequate sterilization, (6) clean equipment, (7) appropriate packaging, (8) appropriate and scientific beyond-use dates, (9) correct compounding procedures, (10) systems to detect and correct compounding deficiencies
