Pharmaceutical staff exposed to antineoplastic drug contamination risk

Pharmaceutical workers who serve in healthcare settings are in danger of antineoplastic drug contamination not just inside the compounding room but also in adjacent rooms, reveals a study.

“Caregivers in healthcare settings are exposed to a risk of antineoplastic drug contamination which can lead to adverse health effects,” the authors said. “Biological monitoring is necessary to estimate the actual level of exposure of these workers.”

This study was conducted to evaluate blood contamination levels by irinotecan and its metabolites of pharmaceutical staff working inside and outside a compounding unit of a French comprehensive cancer centre. The authors collected blood samples from the pharmacy workers and analysed these using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer.

Plasma and red blood cell irinotecan and its metabolites (SN-38; APC) were identified using a validated analytical method detection test.

Of the 78 plasma and red blood cell-based assays, 17 (21.8 percent) were found to be contaminated among pharmaceutical staff. The total number of positive assays was markedly higher for staff members working outside the compounding unit than for those working inside it (5/42, 11.9 percent vs 12/36, 33.3 percent; p=0.022).

Workers outside the compounding unit also had a significantly higher number of positive assays for plasma dosages (p=0.014), while no significant between-group difference was observed for red blood cell-based assays (p=0.309).

“The results would help to raise awareness and potentially establish protective measures for caregivers working in areas close to the compounding room as well,” the authors said.