Work practices and policies of hospital pharmacists preparing antineoplastic agents

Hospital-based female pharmacists were asked about workplace practices and conditions, use of protective equipment, and formal hospital guidelines governing exposure to antineoplastic agents. Special preparation areas dedicated to antineoplastic agents were absent in 13.4% of the workplaces. Vertical laminar flow hoods were unavailable for 27.7% of the respondents. Although protective gloves were worn by the majority (87.9%), safety glasses and facial masks were used infrequently. More than 40% of the group reported skin contact with cytotoxic drugs at least once a month. Eighty-three percent of all respondents reported that their institution had a formal policy governing the handling of antineoplastic agents. Medical surveillance for exposed employees, however, was available in only 28% of the workplaces.