Ensuring the safety, health, and sustainability of the global workplace is essential for everybody working in health care.

SASOPh encourages all pharmacies and Pharma companies in the manufacture, delivery and utilization of cytotoxic drugs to adopt the Yellow Hand Label to create a much needed awareness around the
handling & transport of cytotoxic drugs.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HANDLING & TRANSPORT OF HIGHLY POTENT DRUGS

By ESOP – European Society of Oncology Pharmacy

The products having a CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or reproductive) toxicity such as cytotoxics are highly potent drugs and must therefore be handled with caution. For these reasons ESOP recommends safe delivery methods according to Quapos guidelines (www.esop.eu) and insists on the following points:

1. The delivery must be made in secured leakproof sealed cases (not cardboard boxes).
2. A separate delivery from the remainder of the order.
3. Labelling of the contents is clear from the exterior of the package and consists of :
   • A logo indicating the danger with a warning that can be easily understood even by an untrained person.
   • A text indicating that:
   • All contact must be avoided and the measures to be taken in case of contact;
   • Who to get in touch with in an emergency concerning contamination questions;
   • Pregnant and breast-feeding women must in no circumstances handle or come into contact with such products.
   • The terms must be simple in order to be understood by everybody.
   • The text must be written in the language spoken in the region of the sender and receiver. If the goods cross several language frontiers, the need of adding other languages should be considered.

• Packages with visual signs of damage should be quarantined immediately and the supplier should be contacted. It is not advisable to return damaged cytotoxic vials to the supplier but should instead be disposed of appropriately.