Protecting patients and pharmacists
Personnel training and protocol, and equipment and environment are both critical to the safe compounding of pharmaceuticals.
“Technique is the most important piece of sterile compounding, be it a chemo/HD [hazardous drug] or any sterile product,” says Luci Power, senior pharmacist and manager of Parenteral Support Services (PSS) at the University of California Medical Center-San Francisco (UCSF). “All individuals involved in any aspect of sterile or chemo/HD compounding must understand the issues and the systems in place to protect the compounder and the ancillary personnel in the areas.”
Power oversees a robust training and continuous monitoring program. One component: Technicians set up their batch or dose, but nothing is injected into the final container until a pharmacist checks the drug, diluent, final container, label, all calculations, etc. Once this check has been done, the technician can complete the compounding process. “This immediate supervision and direct observation is crucial to ensure that proper handling precautions are constantly in place. It’s a safety measure for the patient as well as the personnel,” she says.
