USP 800: What Community Pharmacies Need to Know

Most community pharmacies don’t compound with hazardous drugs, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook when it comes to USP 800 compliance. This standard, USP General Chapter <800> Hazardous Drugs: Handling in Healthcare Settings¹, applies to anyone who receives, stores, or dispenses hazardous drugs (HDs). And yes, that includes community pharmacies.

What Makes a Drug Hazardous?

NIOSH² defines a drug as hazardous if it’s linked to cancer, reproductive harm, organ damage, or genetic effects. There are over 250 medications that need to be handled safely to reduce potential harm to employees including medications commonly stocked in community pharmacies such as: azathioprine, carbamazepine, colchicine, finasteride, methotrexate, phenytoin, topiramate, warfarin, as well as hormone products including oral contraceptives.

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