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Abstract:  Today’s health-system pharmacists and those in independent practice face risks, including exposure to potent cytotoxic drugs via needle sticks, that are associated with preparing intravenous compounded sterile preparations for immediate use. Healthcare givers who administer such medications also risk exposure to needlesticks. Those hazards can be minimized when the pharmacist thoroughly understands and complies with current standard operating procedures for preparing intravenous compounded sterile preparations and the healthcare giver uses a needle-free system for drug reconstitution and administration. The components of an overall needle stick risk-reduction strategy to ensure safety in the preparation (and eventual administration) of intravenous compounded sterile preparations should therefore include the use of needle-free connection and administration devices as well as hand-hygiene training, aseptic technique competency evaluation and training, and the maximum use of commercially available or ready-to-use dosage forms. This article, which focuses on the pharmacist’s use of a needle free reconstitution and transfer system for compounded sterile intravenous drug solutions, uses as an example the Vial2Bag (Medimop Medical Projects, Ltd., [a subsidiary of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Exton, Pennsylvania], Ra’anana, Israel), which complies with United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <797> standards. Features of that system are summarized for easy reference.

Related Keywords: exposure risk, cytotoxic drugs, compounded sterile preparations, intravenous administration, needle sticks, safety, drug reconstitution, drug transfer, United States Pharmacopeia Chapter <797>, USP, hazard reduction, cost savings

Related Categories: PACKAGING, PARENTERALS, STERILE PREPARATIONS, TECHNOLOGY, QUALITY CONTROL, UNITED STATES PHARMACOPEIA CONVENTIONS, HAZARDOUS DRUGS

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