How to Perform a Hazardous Drug Risk Assessment in the Compounding Pharmacy

There is a looming deadline on December 1, 2019 and that is the implementation of USP chapter <800>-Hazardous Drugs, Handling in Healthcare Settings. State Boards of Pharmacy (SBOP) are forming task forces and committees to determine if their state will fully implement the chapter or if they will only implement certain components of the chapters. And yet there are other states that are unsure what to do and may push the enforcement further down the timeline. Regardless of what your SBOP has determined regarding USP <800> enforcement, it is still wise to examine the risks associated with niosh listed hazardous drug chemical handling in your entity. Mitigating risk may not be at the forefront of your mindset, but like the USP <800> deadline, the issue of chemical exposure risk is looming in all healthcare facilities that handle hazardous drugs (HDs). This paper covers how to perform a hazardous drug risk assessment in the compounding pharmacy.