After years of limbo working to meet USP <800> guidelines without a firm deadline, we know you are now hustling to finish up the hazardous drug safety work you’ve started or, in a lot of cases, you’re just beginning your efforts to be ready by November 1, 2023. 

We’ve helped many healthcare systems and hospitals of all sizes work through the USP <800> hazardous drugs safety requirements, and we are now sharing all that we know with you in a webinar series.

In each session, we’ll cover a specific requirement and challenge, leaving plenty of time for questions and discussion so you can walk away with the information and tools you need to prepare for USP <800> inspections.


Video 1: Let’s Get Started

USP <800>. November 1, 2023. Are you panicking yet? 

If you are, you are not alone. The hurry up and wait is over; now it’s time to finish up any final updates and changes your healthcare organization needs to make before the Nov. 1, 2023 UPS 800 deadline. 

This video kicks off an eight-part webinar series on USP <800> Preparedness designed to offer you the information and support you need to ensure your organization is ready for the Joint Commission, States Board of Pharmacy or other agencies that will be evaluating your USP <800> readiness. 

Video 2: Where are the Gaps? 

Through working with clients, we’ve seen how hundreds of hospitals are approaching the challenge of complying with USP <800>. We've noticed that in every single organization, there are gaps in the compiled information. We are not being critical; there's no way that one or two or even 25 human beings can catch every detail of this massive mandate. 

One of the things to remember is that you don't know what you don't know. This video walks through the six common gaps we see when working with clients. 

Video 3:  Assessments of Risk 

As we work with our clients on USP <800> projects, the Assessment of Risk (AoR) is a common topic of conversation although there is not a lot of information available. Since March 2018, we've seen a large evolution regarding AoRs. 

This video walks through different strategies for AoRs. 

Video 4: Creating and Updating a Hazardous Drug List

When we're thinking about creating hazardous drug lists, the first question we ask ourselves is” “what should be on the list?” The answer to that question is: Any drugs that are on the NIOSH list that may come into your organization's facilities or clinics need to be on your hazardous drugs list. This includes a patient’s own meds which nurses must know how to safely handle. 

Also, any drugs on the market that meet any of the six characteristics of a hazardous drug,  discussed in this video. This webinar will help you determine which newly approved FDA drugs or investigational drugs should be on your hazardous drugs list. 

Video 5: Requirements for a Drug Assessment

A gap we often see is hazardous drugs missing from an organization’s list because many drugs are approved or fast-tracked through the FDA but not on the NIOSH list. This requires that your organization determine whether the drug is deemed hazardous. Assessing drugs can be challenging because information regarding toxicities for new, fast-tracked or investigational drugs can be scarce. 

This video covers the drug characteristics that you have to consider when assessing whether your organization will classify a new drug as hazardous. 

Video 6: Safety Information in the Electronic Health Record

While working with our clients to install our software, we have had the unique opportunity to observe how they create access to this critical hazardous drug information. Thanks to our experience with clients, this video includes visuals and helpful information about storing this information and making it widely available at the point of care to the healthcare workers who depend on it to keep them safe from hazardous drug exposure.

Video 7: When the Inspectors Come Knocking

Are you ready for the USP <800> November 2023 deadline? Among attendees to the webinar, 86% said they were not ready while one respondent said they were ready for USP <800>. 

In this webinar, we looked at the annual USP <800> poll by Pharmacy Purchasing and Products and what we see with our installed base of customers as far as USP <800> readiness and what to expect when the inspectors come knocking.