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Personal protective equipments

Equipments that protect pharmcists
13.9
The correct selection and use of personal protective equipment is required to both ensure the sterility and the end product and protect the operator Personal protective equipment must be worn to protect personnel during cytotoxic reconstitution and during other activities where they may come into contact with hazardous drugs Activities may include opening drug packaging handling vials or finished product labelling drug containers or disposing of waste Personal protective equipment includes gloves gowns or coveralls boots or overshoes masks head coverings and protective eyewear The use of disposable coveralls or gowns made of non-linting and non-absorbent polyethylene-coated polypropylene material is recommended The gown used should have the following characteristics Long and closed at the neck Second Long sleeves with cuffs gripped at the wrist Third waterproof material for the front and sleeves The last one should be Non-linting Overshoes should be worn in two situations Number 1 If shoes are worn in the production zone Dedicated shoes should be used for this purpose Number 2 In the event of any accidental contamination Surgical masks should be used during production in cleanroom A mask type P2 or P3 for solid and liquid is required in the event of any accidental contamination and for oral preparation Common surgical masks offer no protection against aerosols Goggles are recommended when any projection risk is presented In most cases the glass screen of the Biological Safety Cabinet should offer adequate protection against any possible spray of solutions during cytotoxic reconstitution Goggles must be worn when cleaning a spill Gloves used must be proven to be resistant to chemotherapy and labelled as chemotherapy gloves Gloves used should have the following characteristics Number 1 it should be Sterile and non-powdered Number 2 it could be Latex nitrile or neoprene gloves may be used if they have been validated for the specific purpose of cytotoxic reconstitution A double pair of gloves may be used The outer glove must extend over the cuff of the gown Gloves should be changed at least every 30 minutes or whenever damage or obvious contamination occurs The hair must be covered with a separate head covering or an integrated hood of a coverall Men with beards may need to wear a separate covering for this purpose

The correct selection and use of personal protective equipment is required. There are 2 main reasons.

  • To ensure the sterility of the end products
  • To protect the operator

In this video, Deputy Chiang will explain what these personal protective equipments in detail. Do you recognise and use any of the protective equipments that he talks about? Tell us about which ones you use in your role in the comments below.

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Essentials of Good Pharmacy Practice: The Basics

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