Prevention Guide - Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs - Irsst

10. ADMINISTRATION OF DRUGS
Nurses who administer hazardous drugs must wear one (1) protective gown (see 4.1.7.8)
to handle and administer the drugs from the time they are removed from their Ziploc ® type
plastic bag.
‣ In the outpatient clinic, one gown may be worn for a series of patients treated over a
period of no more than 3.5 hours, after which the gown is to be disposed of in a
cytotoxic waste receptacle and replaced with a new one.
‣ On the care units, a different gown should be worn for each patient treated.
‣ If a gown is to be worn again (e.g. following a break), it should be hung outside traffic
areas, after being folded such that the potentially contaminated area faces inward.
Alternatively, the outside portion may be placed against the wall (provided that the
wall is washed on a regular basis). (See 4.1.7.8.) (+)
‣ Avoid touching the outside of the gown without protection. The outside of the gown
must not come into contact with the clothes worn by the workers or patients.
10.3.2.3 Face Protection
Nurses who administer the drugs must wear face protection (see 4.1.7.10) when there is a
risk of splashing (e.g. bladder irrigation). Limit the risk of facial exposure by working at a
level lower than the face.
10.3.2.4 Workers who administer hazardous drugs must wash their hands, put on the gown and
then put on the gloves (making sure that the gloves cover the gown cuff), after which they
should put on the face protection, if necessary. Where two pairs of gloves are required, put
on the first pair before putting on the gown. For additional information regarding the
sequence for putting on and removing PPE, see Table 5, Section 4.
10.3.2.5 The protective equipment must be removed before leaving the treatment area.
APES, p. 5-27, 5-31 ♦ ASHP, p. 1188-90 ♦ CSHP, Sections 8.2.4, 8.8.2 ♦ NIOSH, p. 14 ♦
ONS, p. 17-19 ♦ OSHA, Section Vc2
10.3.3 Preparation, Priming and Removing Air from the Tubing RATING: +++
Determine the appropriate preparation areas, as well as the techniques for priming and
removing air from the tubing for hazardous drugs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
10.3.3.1 Hazardous drugs must be prepared in the pharmacy only. The bags containing the drugs
must not be overfilled or put under pressure due to an excess volume of fluid. Overfilling
makes the techniques described below difficult to apply and increases the risk of leaking.
10.3.3.2 The techniques used for priming and removal of air should minimize the exposure risks.
Air should never be removed from the tubing with a solution containing the drug.
The tubes should be primed and the air removed in the pharmacy, prior to adding the
hazardous drug to the infusion solution (1 st choice).
10-4 ASSTSAS PREVENTION GUIDE – SAFE HANDLING OF HAZARDOUS DRUGS