Hazardous Drugs in Your Veterinary Practice - Simple and Safe Solutions

Veterinarians routinely face the risk of direct exposure to hazardous drugs. This can occur when treating house pets or large animals with veterinary pharmaceuticals, including antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs. Exposure can occur at all stages of treatment from compounding to administration as well as disposing of drug residue.

Approximately 1 in 4 dogs will develop cancer at some stage in their life. Treatment success rates in dogs with cancer depend on the type of cancer. Lymphoma, a common cancer in dogs accounting for 8% of cancers, is particularly susceptible to chemotherapy.

It is estimated that approximately 6 million new cancer diagnoses are made in dogs and a similar number are made in cats each year. Cancer represents one of the major causes of death in dogs.

Hazardous drugs can have toxic effects on the human body, including carcinogenic, teratogenic (causing birth defects), and mutagenic effects. Prolonged or repeated exposure to these drugs can lead to adverse health effects, such as reproductive disorders, organ damage, and an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers.

Exposure to hazardous drugs can occur through various routes including inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, and injection. Inhalation of drug particles or vapors is a common route of exposure, particularly during the preparation, administration, or disposal of these drugs. Skin contact can also be a significant route of exposure if proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is not used.

Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, assistants, and other professionals need to protect themselves from exposure to agents that can have harmful short- or long-term effects.

Without the proper protocols in your veterinary practice, you may not realize when a surface is contaminated or if there are potentially harmful particles in the air. If contamination occurs, it is dangerous not only for staff members but for anyone who comes into the practice, including customers.

Chemfort^® CSTD products provide safety by minimizing the exposure of veterinarians, veterinary staff, and animal owners to hazardous drugs.

To minimize the risk of exposure to hazardous drugs, veterinary practices should implement comprehensive safety protocols. This includes establishing appropriate facilities and equipment, providing specialized training to staff, and enforcing strict adherence to safety guidelines. Key precautions include the use of proper PPE (e.g., gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection), engineering controls (e.g., ventilation systems) as well as safe handling and disposal practices.

Veterinarians and veterinary technicians should receive proper training on safely handling, preparing, administering, and disposing of hazardous drugs.

To help prevent occupational exposure to hazardous drugs, Simplivia offers a complete system of products that provide safe handling of hazardous drugs from end-to-end: drug mixing, preparation, and delivery.

To minimize the risks associated with handling hazardous drugs, Chemfort^® CSTD is designed to provide a complete, closed solution for preparing and administering hazardous drugs.

An appropriate understanding of safe handling and administration of chemotherapy is imperative for those offering oncology services in their practice.

To ensure safe practice and reduce exposure, guidelines and regulations have been issued by professional associations including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). These guidelines include recommendations for the use of CSTDs like Chemfort^® in combination with personal protective equipment (PPE), proper staff training, and appropriate waste management procedures.

USP 800 (United States Pharmacopeia) regulations apply to handling hazardous drugs in all healthcare settings, including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, veterinarians, and technicians.

Chemfort^® CSTD (closed system transfer devices) products provide safety by minimizing exposure to hazardous substances, including fluids, aerosols, and vapors while maintaining drug sterility.

Chemfort^® offers a complete portfolio of products to help you ensure safe handling of hazardous drugs at all stages from preparation to administration.

Safe
Simplivia's closed system drug transfer devices (CSTDs) have a proven record of excellent performance.

Toxi-Guard^® - Patented Double Membrane Air-cleaning Technology
Meeting the NIOSH definitions for CSTDs, Simplivia’s patented double membrane air-cleaning technology, known as Toxi-Guard^®, provides veterinarians with safety at the highest standards when handling dangerous drugs. Toxi-Guard^® prevents the escape of toxic drug vapors, aerosols and drops while preserving the sterility of the drug or fluid path.

Needle-stick Safe
Chemfort^® eliminates exposure to needles by hiding the needle by means of an automatic retraction mechanism. As a result, the risk of needle-stick injuries is eliminated for bolus administration and IV bag preparation.

Cost Efficient
Chemfort^® enables both cost savings and drug savings. When working with high cost drugs used in oncology, this means lifesaving treatment can be provided to more patients.

We are dedicated to providing the best possible medical solutions to ensure safety in the veterinary workplace.