The handling of hazardous drugs in any healthcare facility comes with serious responsibilities. The main purpose of the USP general chapter <800> is to clearly and thoroughly outline these responsibilities.
It describes the engineering and facility controls, spill controls, decontaminating, deactivating and cleaning procedures, and documentation required when handling hazardous drugs.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines, drugs are considered hazardous if they exhibit the following characteristics in animals or humans:
Whether they’re receiving, preparing, administering or transporting hazardous drugs, all healthcare workers handling such substances must adhere to the USP general chapter <800> guidelines.
One of the major components of USP <800> is the Assessment of Risk (AoR). This establishes safe work practices with the best known containment strategies for controlling hazardous drug contamination. The required AoR elements include risk exposure, manipulation, packaging, documentation of possible containment procedures and work practices, a drug dosage form, and annual review and documentation.
The main purpose of the USP <800> guidelines is to protect frontline healthcare employees in contact with hazardous drugs. The standard dictates new waste handling requirements for PPE and other items that have come into contact with the hazardous drugs listed in the NIOSH guidelines.
The USP <800> standard is kept at the forefront of Daniels’ containment solutions. These products are clinically-engineered to aid training and safety plans around hazardous drugs.
According to the NIOSH guidelines for hazardous drugs, gloves, masks, foot covers, bunny suits and gowns used in administering any USP <800> classified substance are considered “contaminated”. As a result, they fall into a new disposal and waste containment category.
Daniels has over 35 years of experience as an industry leader in the safe collection, transportation and treatment of all healthcare generated waste streams. The combination of compliance expertise and clinically-engineered waste solutions protects the safety risk exposure and regulatory responsibilities of healthcare facilities managing USP <800> waste.
The USP <800> containment solutions are taken in custom transporters to minimize contamination. They’re sanitized through robotic washing to achieve an unparalleled level of cleanliness and a reduction in bacterial load. Daniels’ CT22 and CT64 containers enable point-of-use segregation of sharps and PPE USP <800> classified waste in a single mobile unit. This is best practice for handling hazardous drugs.
Daniels has also partnered with multiple healthcare facilities to implement the Chemosmart system. This cost-effective and compliant solution is made for the disposal of exposed PPE, drug packaging and trace residues of newly classified drugs.
Daniels’ clinically-engineered USP <800> waste containers have inbuilt seals, which minimize odors and prevent leakages.
Daniels’ USP <800> trace chemotherapy waste solution is more cost-effective than black-bin hazardous waste systems. This reusable device eliminates the need for single-use containers, which helps reduce the carbon footprint of the healthcare industry.
Daniels’ bagless and hands-free USP <800> containment systems mitigate risks of contamination. The mobile cart operation and foot pedal accessory enable point-of-generation waste disposal to further minimize infection transfer risks.
At Daniels Health, safety is our number one priority. The Chemosmart products are the only DOT containers approved for transport and impenetrability. They have inbuilt safety mechanisms to protect healthcare workers during use.