NIOSH Hazardous Drugs: What They Are and Why Safety Matters
When you hear NIOSH hazardous drugs, a list of medications identified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as posing serious health risks to healthcare workers through exposure. Also known as hazardous pharmaceuticals, these aren’t just strong medicines—they’re potential threats to anyone who handles them daily, from nurses to pharmacists. These drugs can cause cancer, birth defects, infertility, or organ damage—even through skin contact or inhaling dust from pills. It’s not about taking them. It’s about touching them, cleaning up spills, or preparing doses without proper protection.
Many of these drugs are chemotherapy agents, cancer treatments like cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and methotrexate that are designed to kill fast-growing cells. But the list also includes antiviral drugs, like ritonavir and ganciclovir, used for HIV and herpes, and even hormonal drugs, such as those used for IVF or hormone-sensitive cancers. You might not think of birth control pills or fertility meds as dangerous—but under NIOSH guidelines, they are, because they can disrupt hormones in people who aren’t meant to be exposed. This isn’t theoretical. Studies show nurses and pharmacy techs who handle these drugs without gloves, ventilation, or proper training have higher rates of miscarriage and skin rashes.
That’s why safe handling isn’t optional. It’s built into hospital protocols: closed-system transfer devices, dedicated ventilated cabinets, spill kits, and double-gloving. But even with rules in place, mistakes happen. A broken vial. A splash during preparation. A reused glove. These are the moments where exposure happens. And the posts below cover real cases and practical fixes—like how certain antibiotics or antifungals can trigger skin reactions in workers, why some blood pressure meds increase cancer risk if mishandled, and how to spot early signs of exposure before it turns serious. You won’t find fluff here. Just straight talk on what drugs are dangerous, who’s at risk, and how to protect yourself and your team every single day.
