The USP <800> deadline for compliance is December 1, 2019. With only 3 months left, health care facilities are running short on time to implement the required steps.
USP chapter <800> applies to all health care personnel who handle HD preparations and all entities which store, prepare, transport, or administer HDs (e.g., pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare institutions, patient treatment clinics, physicians' practice facilities, or veterinarians' offices). Personnel who may potentially be exposed to HDs include, but are not limited to: pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses, physicians, physician assistants, home healthcare workers, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians.
Since many psychiatric drugs are considered hazardous, this includes psychiatric inpatient facilities, ICF-IDD inpatient facilities, mental health clinics, nursing homes and some extent rehab facilities.
The compliance process is described in a free ACPE-accredited webinar that you can share with others at your institution. Compliance is a lengthy process that is hopefully underway at your facility, but there is still time thanks to the hard work of some CPNP volunteers. Last year, CPNP launched the USP <800> Compliance Toolkit to handle one of the most labor-intensive steps. This affordable toolkit consists of peer-reviewed Assessment of Risk forms for 140 different formulations after the July 2019 update.
This resource conservatively saves hundreds of hours of your staff time researching, documenting, and reviewing safety procedures that balance safety with patient needs. Especially if you are just starting to work on compliance, that is precious time with the looming deadline. Most importantly, by participating in the compliance process and utilizing this toolkit, you help represent the unique needs of your patients living with psychiatric disorders who need to feel safe when receiving their medications rather than scared by excessive precautions.
Learn more about USP <800> and the Compliance Toolkit at cpnp.org/usp800.