Quality assurance: ensuring pharmacy personnel follow procedures for handling cytotoxic drugs.

The development of a quality assurance activity for the handling of cytotoxic drugs in a hospital pharmacy department is explained. The exposure of hospital pharmacy personnel to cytotoxic drugs even in small amounts may present a health hazard. A method was developed to periodically evaluate and verify pharmacy staff adherence to procedures for the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. The program development included the development of checklists to audit IV admixture and satellite clinics, outpatient and pharmacy production area, and pharmacy receiving and storage area. The basis for development of these checklists was the ASHP Technical Assistance Bulletin on Handling Cytotoxic Drugs in the Hospital and OSHA Guidelines.