Safe Handling of Hazardous Medicines in the Home

Some medicines need to be touched or handled in a special way because they can be harmful (hazardous) to the people giving them. Some studies show that people caring for patients taking these medicines can also have changes within their own body’s cells.

This exposure can occur from:

  • Medicine spills or splashes
  • Breathing medicine vapors or powder
  • Coming in contact with patient vomit, urine, or stool.

The risk of danger from handling small amounts of these medicines is small, but it is a good idea to avoid exposure if possible. Exposure can be limited by following certain steps.

Supplies

In order to avoid exposure to hazardous medicines, keep these supplies on hand:

  • Disposable gloves – Get them from a grocery store, hardware store, pharmacy, larger retailer, or the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Homecare Retail Store.
  • Disposable gown – for liquid medicines
  • Household soap or detergent
  • Disposable towel
  • Two-ply, heavy duty trash bag
  • Disposable plastic medicine cups and oral syringes (for liquid medicines)
  • Needle disposal or “sharps” container – needed for medicines given by needle or IV

Drug Interactions

Some medicines, vitamins, minerals, herbals, probiotics, and supplements can have a bad effect when taken together. Some may make your child’s medicine not work as well. Always talk to your child’s doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist before starting new medicines or supplements.

How to Handle Hazardous Medicines

  • Wash your hands before and after handling hazardous medicines.
  • Use disposable gloves if you are touching any type of hazardous medicine. Do not use torn gloves or gloves with holes.
  • Use disposable plastic medicine cups to move a pill from a medicine bottle.
  • Use a disposable gown when drawing up and administering liquid medicines.
  • Throw away any used gloves, gowns, medicine cups, oral syringes, or bottles in a two-ply, heavy-duty trash bag. Double bag used supplies by tying or sealing the bag, then place it in another trash bag. Keep this trash out of the reach of pets and children.

Special Note About Pregnancy and Nursing

  • Some medicines can be dangerous to a pregnant person giving your child medicine. If you or another caregiver are pregnant, ask the doctor or health care provider if this medicine is safe to touch or handle during pregnancy.
  • If your child thinks they might be pregnant, tell the doctor or health care provider before starting any medicine. Some medicines may cause problems to an unborn baby.
  • If a patient is nursing, tell the doctor or health care provider before taking any medicine. Medicines may pass into human milk and cause side effects in the baby.

How to Handle Needles and Sharps

  • Do not recap, bend, or break off the used needle.
  • Do not remove the needle from the syringe.
  • Throw away all sharps and needles in a safe ‘sharps container.’ If you do not have one from the hospital, use a container made of heavy-duty plastic. This can be a liquid laundry detergent bottle. It must close with a lid that screws on tightly. Needles should not be able to poke through (puncture) the lid. The container must be leak-proof, and able to sit up and not fall over (stable).
  • When the container is ¾ full with sharps, put on the lid, seal it with duct tape, and label, “DO NOT RECYCLE.” 
  • Place the container in the middle of a full, heavy-duty trash bag. This can go out with normal trash pickup. Do not put the container in the recycling.
  • Ask your health care provider or nurse for more information on sharps containers.

Storing Hazardous Medicines

  • Your child’s pharmacist or health care provider will tell you about any special storage instructions.
  • Keep all medicines out of the reach of children or pets.
  • Keep hazardous medicines separate from all other medicines.
  • Some hazardous medicines should be stored at room temperature, away from direct heat or sunlight. Do not keep medicines in the bathroom. It is too hot and humid. Do not keep medicines in a car because it can get too hot or too cold.
  • If the medicine needs to be refrigerated, separate it from food. Use a separate bin in the refrigerator or place the medicine in a container.
  • Keep the hazardous medicine in its original bottle or container. Do not place it in a pillboxwith other non-hazardous medicines.

Giving Hazardous Medicines

  • Your child’s doctor, health care provider, or pharmacist will tell you how and when to give the medicine.
  • It is important for your child to take these medicines exactly as told. Do not skip a dose without talking to your child’s doctor or health care provider.
  • If you forget to give a dose, do not double the dose the next time. Contact your child’s doctor’s office or pharmacist to find out what to do.

Handling Medicine Spills or Splashes

  • If you are giving a hazardous medicine and it spills:
    1. Put on a disposable gown and 2 pairs of gloves to clean it up.
    2. Cover the spill with a disposable towel.
    3. Then, wipe it up well, and clean the area 3 times with a home cleaning product. This is to make sure that no medicine is left on the surface.
    4. Throw away all materials in a heavy-duty sealed trash bag. Then, place it in a trash can that is out of reach of pets and children.
  • Hazardous liquid medicines spilled on the skin may cause irritation. Wash the area well with soap and water, then dry. If redness or irritation occurs within 7 days, contact your or your child’s doctor or health care provider.
  • If the drug splashes in the eyes, rinse them with tap water for at least 15 minutes. Then, contact your child’s doctor or health care provider.

Managing and Refilling Medicine

  • If you can, fill all prescriptions at the same pharmacy so they can check drug interactions.
  • Ask your pharmacy to refill medicines 3 to 5 days before your child’s medicine is out.
  • Some medicines cannot be refilled. Ask your child’s prescriber for a new prescription.
  • Always read the information sheet that comes with the medicine.
  • If you notice anything different about your child’s medicine, tell the pharmacist.
  • Tell the health care provider and pharmacist about any reactions to any medicine.
  • Always keep a current list of your child’s medicines. Other caregivers should have a copy of this list. It should include prescription medicines, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, herbal products, and dietary supplements. Try to include possible side effects for each.
  • If your child’s school is giving the medicine, they will need a note from you and the prescriber. They will also need a second labeled bottle to keep the medicine in.

Preventing Medicine Mistakes

Deaths from medicine mistakes happen each day. These deaths can be caused by taking medicine for the wrong reasons, taking medicine prescribed for someone else, or taking the wrong amount of medicine. Some ways to prevent mistakes include:

  • Only give the medicine to the person for whom it is prescribed.
  • Know what’s in your child’s medicine and why they take it. Learn the name, spelling, and dose of your child’s medicines. Teach your child when they are old enough.
  • Always turn on the light when giving or taking medicine.
  • Read the label carefully when you take or give medicine. Double-check the dose, time of day, and the person for whom it was prescribed.
  • Stay with your child until they have swallowed the medicine.
  • Take all of your child’s medicines with you in the original bottles when they see a
    doctor, health care provider, or dentist, go to an emergency department, or are admitted to the hospital.
  • During clinic visits, tell the staff about any hazardous drugs you may have taken at home.
  • If you need to give medicine to your child regularly, have the same person give the medicine each time. Write down the date and times you gave the medicine on a calendar so you don’t give too much.
  • Keep the Poison Center phone number where it is easy to see: 1(800) 222-1222 (TTY 1-866-688-0088).

Questions For the Doctor or Pharmacist

  • What is this medicine?
  • What is this medicine being used for?
  • How should my child take this medicine?
  • How do I store this medicine?
  • What are common side effects for this medicine?
  • Could this medicine be abused?
  • How do I get more medicine when it runs out?
  • What should I do if my child vomits or spits out their medicine?
  • What should I do if my child misses a dose of this medicine?

 

 

Helping Hands™ Patient Education Materials

Helping Hands™ are easy-to-read guides about different illnesses, therapies, surgeries, and more. They’re created by the Patient Education team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and are reviewed and approved by clinical staff, like nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and psychologists. Nationwide Children's Hospital is not responsible for misuse of information in patient education materials, including Helping Hands.

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