Hi guys,

I am currently based in a hospital and like most hospitals, has a Pharmacy. The Pharmacy contains hundreds of products that consistantly change making the idea of a COSHH assessment inpracticable. 

I have tried to fine clarification as to whether all these products need seperate COSHH assessments?

or just the (Cytotoxic drugs) and then a risk assessment for the rest identifying the risk as a whole?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated :-)

Hi A Kurdziel,

Thank you for the quick reply, that makes perfect sense.

To clarify: In and out stock such as over the counter products are generally treated as any other retail outlet products (storage, transport and spills procedures)

Products that are administered or used in other procedures and could cause harm are given more attention (Task COSHH assessment)

Best,

The Pharmacy should have a Pharmacy manual that covers all of the procedures for the control of medicines and authorisations and how to issue and what to do about refusing...storage/waste can also be covered by the HTM-01-07...short reply I will put more links in later...:)

Keep in mind that COSHH stands for 'control'. In other words, the emphasis is what happens to the chemical when some task is carried out. Is there a risk that exposure will, or might occur, when that particular task is carried out? If not then no formal risk assessment will be needed, regardless of the hazard that the substance might intrinsically present. Even a low hazard substance, e.g. water, can present a significant hazard should there be sufficient exposure, whereas a toxic, hazardous chemical might present little risk if the situation is such that exposue is not a consideration. In a sense one might say: "It's not what is in the bottle that matters, it's what happens to the bottle." So many different bottles containing different chemicals could present the same risk in one task (no potential for breakage or opening of the bottle) but considerably different ones in another (significant risk of bottle breakage or bottle being opened).

Is there an hazard pictogram? Plus are you just storing the products for patients - plus are you mixing products. In my view the majority of medicines do not need assessing as they may not be hazardous in their stored condition but they possible are when givenj to the patient., and can you control that? I think not. eg would you risk assess paracetemol ? In my view if its prescribed no assessment.  However biological and carcinogenic issues etc can raise their heads on some products. Therefore read the manufacturers SDS

SBH

The listing on ECHA for Paracetamol: According to the classification provided by companies to ECHA in REACH registrations this substance is harmful if swallowed, may cause damage to organs and is harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.

The instructions on the box: "Swallow, preferably with a drink of water"

COSHH like any risk assessment  is to  do with the process not the substance. So if something is sitting on the shelf in a stable environment you do not have to worry about it until you decide to do something with it.  For example, in one of our labs researchers  will take several grams of paracetamol  tablets and grind up  them to use in an experiment. The paracetamol powder is clearly a hazardous substance and any process involving it needs to be done under a COSHH risk assessment.  These are the same tables that you buy in a pharmacy  and take for a headache. Issuing drugs as a medicine does not require a COSHH assessment but other activities involving the same substances might.