Free CE Webinar Offered for First-Ever National Safe Handling Awareness Day

April has been designated the first-ever Safe Handling Awareness Month - a national campaign to protect the health and wellbeing of the oncology healthcare professionals who devote their lives to helping others by raising awareness of the risks, guidelines and safety measures associated with handling hazardous drugs.

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) February 19, 2009

Free CE Webinar Offered for First-Ever National Safe Handling Awareness Day (April 20, 2009)

WHAT: April has been designated the first-ever Safe Handling Awareness Month - a national campaign to protect the health and wellbeing of the oncology healthcare professionals who devote their lives to helping others by raising awareness of the risks, guidelines and safety measures associated with handling hazardous drugs.

To enhance this effort, healthcare professionals are invited to participate in a free, one-hour safe handling CE webinar addressing the proper handling of hazardous drugs on April 20, 2009, the inaugural Safe Handling Awareness Day. This program is being supported by an unrestricted educational grant provided by Carmel Pharma, Inc., the official sponsor of Safe Handling Awareness Month and the maker of PhaSeal® - today's only clinically proven closed-system drug transfer device (CSTD) for the safe preparation, administration and waste disposal of hazardous drugs.

WHEN: April 20, 2009 - The inaugural Safe Handling Awareness Day

1:00PM - 2:00PM EST

Archived webinar will also be available on-demand.

WHERE: Online. Register at www. statce. com/safehandling (http://www. statce. com/safehandling )

WHY: The following facts support the need for/value of increased safe handling awareness and practices among today's healthcare professionals:

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has stated that "working with or near hazardous drugs in health care settings may cause skin rashes, infertility, miscarriage, birth defects and possibly leukemia or other cancers."

The World Health Organization predicts a 50 percent increase of cancer cases over the next 20 years; this, combined with more potent chemotherapy drugs - as well as an increase in the use of hazardous drugs to treat non-malignant illnesses - will continue to elevate risk of exposure.

Two separate studies investigating the toxicity in healthcare personnel who handle cytotoxic (hazardous) drugs revealed a 40-50 percent increased risk for miscarriage. A total of 7094 pregnancies of 2976 pharmacy and nursing staff were examined.

A national survey conducted by the Environmental Working Group, the American Nurses Association, Health Care Without Harm and the Environmental Health Education Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing showed that there are links between nurses' occupational exposure to hazardous drugs and the health problems they develop such as cancer, asthma, miscarriages and children's birth defects.

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