Drug Safety

Delivering hazardous drugs safely is complex but essential for the welfare of our health care workers and our patients.

Like many other nurses, I have an oral chemotherapy card from the Oncology Nursing Society, which is renewable every 2 years.

Routine surface wipe testing helps identify specific areas of hazardous drug contamination and guide nurse leaders towards establishing improved protocols.

AnnMarie Walton, PhD, MPH, RN, OCN, CHES, FAAN, discusses the limitations of plastic-backed pads in inpatient oncology units.

Research published in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing supports current guideline recommendations for washing clothes contaminated with cyclophosphamide.

Seth Eisenberg, ASN, RN, OCN, BMTCN, emphasizes the importance of reducing nurse exposure to hazardous drugs—and ongoing research efforts to improve nursing safety.

Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, discusses how her institution improved double-check compliance with high-alert medications.

Amber Pierce RN, BSN, OCN, highlights the importance of a 2-step verification process with fixed-dose regimen therapies.

Seth Eisenberg, ASN, RN, OCN, BMTCN, discusses his research comparing plastic-backed pads and the Splashblocker.

AnnMarie Walton, PhD, MPH, RN, OCN, CHES, FAAN, discusses her research on plastic-backed pads and discusses the importance of better methods to reduce exposure to antineoplastic drug residue.

The Splashblocker was found to be an effective way to reduce contaminated particles. Plastic backed pads had mixed reviews.

Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, highlights how her unit leveraged an educational video to improve compliance with double verification for high-alert medications.

Sometimes nurses inappropriately handle high-risk medications. It is important that other nurses, especially those who work in pain management, hold colleagues accountable to promote patient safety.

Seon Jo Park, PharmD, BCOP and Heather Kennihan, MSN, RN, OCN, discuss the best practices that their institution uses to ensure the safe handling of immunotherapy.

Powerful chemicals used in chemotherapy may pose safety hazards for oncology nurses, pharmacists, and other health care providers if not handled properly.

Independent verification of documentation is paramount to patient safety.

Chemotherapy agents are excreted through urine and feces, and a recent study found that both patient and staff bathrooms were contaminated.

Opioids are the go-to treatment for cancer-related pain. But is this mainstay poised to change as the opioid crisis continues to grow?

Registered pharmacist Jamie Fritz, RPh, Oral Pharmacy Manager, Compass Oncology, describes the vital role that oral oncology nurses play in cancer care.

Kathy Oubre, MS, Chief Operating Officer, Pontchartrain Cancer Center in Covington, Louisiana, shares some barriers to adherence to oral oncolytics that patients may face.

A foundational volume in oncology nursing gets an upgrade.

Preventing central line–associated bloodstream infections is a top priority for healthcare practitioners, and following basic safety protocols, such as handwashing and line flushing, is essential to the effort.

Nurses may not be aware of the reproductive risks of exposure to hazardous drugs, but the new USP Chapter requires a formal notification process.

The chances are high that hazardous drug residue exists wherever the drugs are present. What can nurses do to reduce their risks?

Nurses may think that if they are careful, their routine drug administration activities will not result in hazardous drug leaking and exposure, but even small leaks are problematic.

Kim Christen, RN, BSN, OCN, discusses the issue of safe handling and how the onsite pharmacy at Kootenai reinforces safety.

Despite the warnings, adherence to safe handling precautions by healthcare practitioners is uneven; understanding the risks are essential.

Recent recent update to ASCO/ONS standards for chemotherapy administration safety include considerations for a safe healthcare environment, treatment planning, patient education, and consent.

Oncology nurses are administering hazardous drugs every day. While some take precaution by using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), others take a much riskier approach.

Amy Callahan, RN, DNP, CRNP, AOCNS, nurse manager, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, discusses barriers to safe handling of chemotoxic materials.