European Commission publishes a new guidance for the safe management of hazardous medicinal products at work
The guidance, issued by the European Commission with the involvement of many stakeholders in the healthcare sector, provides an overview of existing good practice and practical advice aiming at reducing workers’ exposure to hazardous medicinal products.
Stakeholders in the healthcare sector have often stressed the need to better protect staff exposed to hazardous medicinal products.
These products are used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including cancer, but can cause unintended effects in people other than patients themselves, such as the workers exposed to them.
To address stakeholders’ concerns, the Commission has put forward a concrete action in the EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027 - the preparation of a guidance for safe management of hazardous medicinal products.
Practical advice for workers and employers
The new guide was developed to provide practical examples for reducing the workers’ exposure to hazardous medicinal products across all lifecycle stages: production, transport and storage, preparation, administration to human patients and animal patients as well as waste management.
The guidance offers a broad range of practical advice presented in a simple and reader-friendly way by using graphics, photos and special training documents.
It is a non-binding document for workers, employers, public authorities and safety experts to underpin their approaches to workers’ protection from hazardous medicinal products.
The Commission involved many stakeholders in the drafting process. Numerous workshops, personal meetings and on-site visits in different Member States took place to obtain stakeholders’ views and feedback.
This way the Commission’s services could benefit from their expertise and in-depth knowledge.
For more details, please consult:
https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=89&newsId=10564&furtherNews=yes&