Hazardous drugs
Hazardous Drugs
Hazardous drugs (pronunciation: /ˈhæzərdəs drʌgz/) are a category of drugs that are known to cause harm to humans, particularly healthcare workers who may be exposed to them. They can cause harm through exposure in the workplace, and can have both acute and chronic health effects.
Etymology
The term "hazardous drugs" is derived from the English word "hazardous", meaning dangerous or risky, and "drugs", a term which has been used since the 14th century to refer to medicinal substances.
Definition
Hazardous drugs are defined by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as drugs that exhibit one or more of the following characteristics in humans or animals: carcinogenicity, teratogenicity or other developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, organ toxicity at low doses, genotoxicity, or structure and toxicity profiles of new drugs that mimic existing drugs determined hazardous by the above criteria.
Classification
Hazardous drugs can be classified into three main categories: antineoplastic drugs, non-antineoplastic drugs, and drugs with reproductive risk. Antineoplastic drugs are used to treat cancer, while non-antineoplastic drugs can be used to treat a variety of conditions, but still pose a risk to healthcare workers. Drugs with reproductive risk can cause harm to the reproductive system and can potentially harm unborn children.
Related Terms
- Carcinogenicity: The ability of a substance to cause cancer in living tissue.
- Teratogenicity: The ability of a substance to cause malformations in an embryo or fetus.
- Genotoxicity: The ability of a substance to damage genetic information in a cell.
- Reproductive toxicity: The occurrence of adverse effects on the reproductive system that may result from exposure to a chemical.
- Organ toxicity: The potential for a substance to cause damage to organs.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Hazardous drugs
- Wikipedia's article - Hazardous drugs
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