February 23, 2023 – BD announced the outcomes of a peer-reviewed study that showed BD technology can be used to significantly reduce hazardous drug surface contamination and provide pharmacies and health care facilities with real-time measures to more effectively monitor and improve the safety of health care workers and patients.
The study, published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, assessed changes in surface contamination by using a next-generation closed system drug-transfer device (CSTD) with the BD PhaSeal™ Optima System across two chemotherapy infusion centers, where health care workers are often at higher risk of exposure. The study took place at Emory Healthcare’s Winship Cancer Institute prior to and a year following CSTD implementation. After incorporating the BD PhaSeal™ Optima System into clinical workflows, results showed a 46 percent reduction in hazardous drug surface contamination at the sites.
Health care workers may be exposed to hazardous drugs during drug transportation, preparation, administration or waste disposal. Research shows that the accidental spread of contamination in pharmacies and hospitals is widespread. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 8 million health care workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs. Even at small concentrations this exposure puts workers at risk of short- and long-term health issues such as headaches, hair loss, nausea, organ damage, reproductive problems, developmental impairments, genetic issues and even cancer.
The study also compared conventional wipe sampling methods, which may take weeks for facilities to receive results, against a qualitative, rapid, point-of-care test, the BD® HD Check System, which provides results within 10 minutes. The BD® HD Check System was 91 percent consistent with traditional quantitative analyses in reporting contamination and 98 percent accurate within its limits of detection – bringing reliability and speed to the sampling process.
Routine monitoring is beneficial in identifying and correcting safety practices, allowing institutions to proactively minimize hazardous drug contamination. Current guidelines and standards, including those in the 2020 Safe to Touch Consensus Conference and the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacists (SEFH), recommend routine monitoring for hazardous drug surface contamination.