ABSTRACT
Objective: Anticancer drugs have carcinogenic potential and are associated with occupational exposure risks among healthcareprofessionals who handle them. To minimize occupational exposure, healthcare workers must be adequately aware of the risks ofanticancer drugs and the appropriate techniques for their preparation. However, there is little information on the awareness ofpharmacists who prepare anticancer drugs in medical settings. The aim of this study was to investigate awareness of hazardous drugs(HD) and appropriate preparation techniques among pharmacists, and identify problems that pharmacists experience in managing theirexposure to anticancer drugs.Design: Questionnaire.Method: The questionnaire was sent by e-mail or mail to pharmacists employed at 270 institutions who belonged to the Chiba Societyof Hospital Pharmacists. From September 2015 to March 2016, respondents completed the questionnaires voluntarily and returnedthem by mail. Returning the questionnaire was regarded as informed consent to participate in this survey. Based on the completedquestionnaires, we examined the awareness of pharmacists in their daily work.Results: In total, 218 questionnaires were returned (collection rate: 10%). Awareness of the risks of anticancer drugs was high, and ahigh percentage of respondents use personal protective equipment during drug preparation, but the use of closed system drug transferdevices was low. Overall, however, it was found that many pharmacists had insufficient understanding of safe handling techniques.Discussion: Despite some recognition of the risks associated with exposure to HD, the measures taken to prevent exposure toHDs―including anticancer drugs―were inadequate and this issue must be urgently addressed by medical institutions and pharmacists.Countermeasures such as training sessions in the handling of HDs and the development of manuals are needed for each facility.
ABSTRACT
To the best of our knowledge, there are few reports on acquirement of medical skills of infection control using a scenario simulation program. We report the development of a education program using scenario-based simulation named Infection Control Training Course （ICTC）. The three main aims of this course are basic comprehension of standard precautions and contact precautions, acquirement of skills for wearing and removal of personal protective equipment （PPE）, and precise selection of PPE for various situations.<br>・For the materials and methods, 225 medical staff members taking part in the ICTC at TMU participated in the study. Investigations using a questionnaire about standard precaution, contact precaution and PPE selection were carried out for the pre-course and post-course of the day. In addition, the satisfaction level was evaluated using free score text.<br>・The return rates of the completed questionnaire for investigating these areas were 88.4% （pre-course） and 95.1% （post-course）. Among all the items investigated, improvements were verified statistically （Wilcoxon signed-rank test）. The satisfaction level was 94.7 ± 9.4 points.<br>・In conclusion, the ICTC was considered to be effective for acquiring medical skills of infection control, particularly basic comprehension regarding standard precaution, contact precaution and precise PPE selection using a scenario simulation program.