|
KMID : 0869620150320020104
|
|
Journal of Korean Society of Hospital Pharmacists
2015 Volume.32 No. 2 p.104 ~ p.118
|
|
|
Survey of Work Environment and Healthcare Workers Safety for Handling Antineoplastic Agents in Korean Hospitals
|
|
Kang Min-Kyung
Park Hyang-Min
Lee Yeon-Joo
Kim Da-Jin
Ree Yoon-Sun
Yeo Mi-Jin
Lee Yeon-Hong
Moon Jin-Young
Heo Young-Seol
Kim Jae-Yeun
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
Purpose : The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has provided guidelines on handling hazardous drugs and updated its new and continuing concerns for health care workers. However, there are no such guidelines or regulations in Korea. This study aims to evaluate the work environment and the safety of healthcare workers during the preparation of antineoplastic agents in Korean hospitals.
Methods : We invited a total of 110 hospitals with more than 500 beds to participate in our survey. Twenty nine hospitals participated. The self-completion questionnaire covered work place issues, the number of antineoplastic agent preparations, equipment and environmental quality control, and training about the handling of hazardous drugs.
Results : There are three hospitals where the daily compounding number reached more than 600 and the average number per person was 36.5. The preparation room for hazardous drugs at nine hospitals remained positive or equal pressure. In addition, nine hospitals used a clean bench, which is not biologic safety cabinet. None of the 29 hospitals conducted an environmental sampling test to detect hazardous drugs and most of the hospitals performed an efficiency test of the biologic safety cabinet. All of the hospitals conducted personnel training and education about the safe handling of antineoplastic drugs but the length of the training period varied. In addition, none of the hospitals evaluate the health status of workers. Personal protective equipment included gowns, gloves, masks, hair caps and arm covers but not a respirator. The type of equipment and usage times varied. Most of hospitals complied with continuing preparation-compounding times of less than 2.5 hours.
Conclusion : This was the baseline study to evaluate the work place and worker safety for the preparation of antineoplastic drugs. The result of our study demonstrates that it is necessary to establish standardized guidelines and improve working conditions for the handling of hazardous drugs in Korean hospitals.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Work environment, Health care workers, Safe handling, Antineoplastic agents, Korean hospitals
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|