Standard Precautions in Pharmacy
Standard precautions in pharmacy are infection control practices applied to all patient care situations to prevent transmission of bloodborne and other pathogens, including hand hygiene, PPE use, sharps safety, and proper waste disposal.
Exam Tip
Hand hygiene is the #1 infection control measure. Never recap needles. USP 800 governs hazardous drug handling. Know PPE requirements for sterile compounding (full garbing) vs. regular dispensing on the ExCPT.
What Are Standard Precautions in Pharmacy?
Standard precautions are a set of infection prevention practices that apply to all patients regardless of their diagnosis or infection status. In pharmacy settings, standard precautions protect both pharmacy personnel and patients from exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other infectious agents.
Core Standard Precautions
| Precaution | Description |
|---|---|
| Hand hygiene | Wash with soap/water or use alcohol-based sanitizer before and after patient contact, after removing gloves, between tasks |
| PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) | Gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection based on the task |
| Respiratory hygiene | Cover coughs/sneezes, provide masks to symptomatic patients |
| Sharps safety | Use sharps containers, never recap needles, use safety-engineered devices |
| Safe injection practices | One needle, one syringe, one patient; use single-dose vials when possible |
| Waste disposal | Proper segregation of regular, biohazard, and sharps waste |
| Environmental cleaning | Disinfect surfaces and equipment regularly |
PPE Selection Guide
| Situation | Required PPE |
|---|---|
| Dispensing medications | Gloves (if handling hazardous drugs) |
| Administering immunizations | Gloves |
| Compounding non-sterile | Gloves, hair cover, clean clothing |
| Compounding sterile (USP 797) | Sterile gown, gloves, mask, shoe covers, hair cover |
| Handling cytotoxic/hazardous drugs | Double gloves, gown, eye protection, respiratory protection |
| Cleaning blood/body fluid spill | Gloves, gown, eye protection if splash risk |
Hazardous Drug Handling (USP 800)
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Receiving | Unpack in designated area with PPE |
| Storage | Separate from non-hazardous drugs |
| Compounding | Containment primary engineering control (CPEC) required |
| Administration | Closed-system transfer devices when possible |
| Spill cleanup | Spill kit required; trained personnel only |
| Waste disposal | Trace-contaminated waste in designated containers |
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Protocol
- Immediately wash the affected area with soap and water
- Report the exposure to supervisor
- Seek medical evaluation promptly
- Document the incident
- Follow up testing as recommended
Exam Alert
Standard precautions appear in the Dispensing Process domain. Key points: hand hygiene is the single most important infection control measure, always use gloves when handling hazardous drugs, and never recap needles. USP 800 governs hazardous drug handling.
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Related Terms
Aseptic Technique
Aseptic technique is a set of practices and procedures used in sterile compounding to prevent microbial contamination of compounded sterile preparations (CSPs), including proper gowning, hand hygiene, and manipulation within a laminar airflow hood.
USP 795 and USP 797 (Compounding Standards)
USP 795 and USP 797 are United States Pharmacopeia chapters that establish minimum standards for non-sterile compounding (795) and sterile compounding (797), including personnel training, facilities, equipment, and quality assurance requirements.
Compounding Pharmacy
A compounding pharmacy prepares customized medications by mixing, combining, or altering ingredients to create preparations not commercially available, following USP 795 (non-sterile) and USP 797 (sterile) standards.
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