"Understanding USP 797" and "Environmental Controls for Sterile Compounding" Technical Papers are Now Posted on PublicRelationsNewsroom.com In Light of the Continued Regulatory Focus on Hazardous Drug Handling in the Workplace
Two technical papers produced by Baxa Corporation – “Understanding USP 797” and “Environmental Controls for Sterile Compounding” are now posted for media and professional access on PublicRelationsNewsroom.com. Since the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) released USP 797 in January 2004 and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published its 2004 alert on the health risks posed to those working with hazardous drugs, there has been a renewed focus on safety within the hospital pharmacy environment. These papers address the various issues under discussion.
Englewood, CO (PRWEB) January 30, 2005 -- With hazardous drug handling
brought to the forefront of public scrutiny in 2004 by the American Society of
Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) USP 797 and a related National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Alert, Baxa Corporation has published two
related technical papers: “Understanding USP 797” and “Environmental Controls
for Sterile Compounding.” Both papers are now posted on www.PublicRelationsNewsroom.com for both professional and
media access (click either the ASHP USP 797 tab or the compounding tab if
accessing from the home page), according to Greg Baldwin, Chairman and CEO of
Baxa Corporation. Baxa is the US distributor of PhaSeal®, the only closed system
that prevents the workplace contamination threats as delineated in the NIOSH
Alert.
“Understanding USP 797” is found at http://www.publicrelationsnewsroom.com/_wsn/page4.html. This
paper is authored by Baxa Corporation’s Michael Hurst RPh, MBA.
Hurst
worked for 18 years at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, WA, in operational
management, including positions as IV Supervisor and Assistant Director of
Pharmacy. His implementation of a syringe infusion system in 1984 had national
implications. For the next nine years Hurst wrote, spoke, consulted and acted as
a reference site for syringe infusion installations across the
country.
Moving to industry full time in 1994, Hurst joined Baxa
Corporation as Vice President of Infusion Systems. His job duties have included
customer support for syringe infusion system installations, new business and
product development roles, and professional services support for various Baxa
pharmacy and nursing product lines. Hurst is currently consulting with a
hospital system in the development of a comprehensive USP 797 compliance
template that can be applied in other hospital pharmacies.
“Environmental
Controls for Sterile Compounding” is found at http://www.publicrelationsnewsroom.com/_wsn/page6.html.
Baxa
Corporation, as previously mentioned, offers the only closed system for safe
handling of antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs. This system, PhaSeal®,
uses dry connections and a built-in expansion chamber to prevent drug aerosol
leakage and subsequent transfer into the work environment. As a closed system,
it contains hazardous drugs throughout the entire process of drug transfer,
preparation, transport, administration and disposal - eliminating the risks of
environmental and occupational exposure. The PhaSeal System is currently in use
for handling hazardous drugs in more than 200 leading cancer hospitals in the
US. The system is also used in progressive hospitals throughout Europe.
A
leading provider of devices and systems for the preparation, handling,
packaging, and administration of liquid medications, Baxa Corporation
manufactures and markets a wide range of healthcare products for use in
hospitals, critical care units and alternate-site pharmacies. Headquartered in
Englewood, Colorado, Baxa has subsidiaries and sales offices in Canada, the
United Kingdom; Denmark, and Germany; and distribution partners worldwide.
Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com.
The PhaSeal System is manufactured
in Sweden by Carmel Pharma ab of Göteborg, Sweden. Introduced in Europe in 1994,
the PhaSeal System is now used in most Swedish hospitals, with its benefits
documented by a significant body of scientific research on the health risks
associated with the preparation and administration of cytotoxic drugs. The
PhaSeal System is protected by a comprehensive patent portfolio in the U.S.,
European Union and Japan. For more information on Carmel Pharma, please visit http://www.carmelpharma.se.
Additional resources
regarding this subject matter:
Understanding CleanRooms: A Q&A
Document
http://www.publicrelationsnewsroom.com/_wsn/page7.html
Safe
Handling of Hazardous Drugs in the Workplace: Expert Perspectives
http://www.expert411.com/_wsn/page9.html
"What if the
Cure is Also a Cause?
The Same Chemo Drugs That Save Some Cancer Patients'
Lives Put Health Workers at Risk"
A Major Daily Newspaper Looks at This Issue
in Depth: February 15, 2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24458-2005Feb14.html?referrer=emailarticle
Click
the following link to view a presentation by Jim Jorgenson "Using a Closed
System Device to Reduce Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs." Jorgenson is
Director of Pharmacy for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Associate Dean for
Professional Affairs at the University of Utah:
http://www.isips.org/presentations/PhaSeal/player.html
Contacts:
Marian
Robinson, Vice President, Marketing
Baxa Corporation: 800.567.2292 ext. 2157
or 303.617.2157
Email: e-mail protected from spam bots
http://www.baxa.com
Maggie
Chamberlin Holben, APR, Absolutely Public Relations
303.984.9801,
303.669.3558 Email: e-mail protected from spam bots
http://www.absolutelypr.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb202867.htm