PROTECTION AGAINST ANTI-CANCER DRUGS

WHEREAS, a large percentage of health care professionals have the responsibility for preparing and/or administering cytotoxic (anti-cancer) drugs; and

WHEREAS, these cytotoxic drugs have themselves been found to be mutogenic or carcinogenic and the effects of long-term chronic exposure to small amounts by health care workers are uncertain; and

WHEREAS, exposure can occur during drug preparation, administration, clean-up, and disposal mandating environmental as well as personnel protection; and,

WHEREAS, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has drafted standards on the handling of these drugs that have not been voluntarily adopted by many health care employers:

RESOLVED, that FNHP/AFT develop guidelines for the handling of cytotoxic drugs and encourage the adoption of such guidelines at all facilities where our members work; and

RESOLVED, that FNHP/AFT promote through the appropriate federal agencies development of regulations requiring the adoption of the OSHA standards for the protection of all health care workers.