Why is PPE important when handling certain medications?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential when handling certain medications primarily to prevent potential exposure to hazardous substances. Many medications, particularly those classified as hazardous, such as chemotherapy agents, can pose serious health risks to those who handle them. Exposure can occur through skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion, and can lead to adverse health effects. Using PPE, which can include gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection, helps to create a barrier that minimizes the risk of exposure, ensuring the safety of pharmacy technicians and other healthcare professionals.

While other aspects related to medication handling, such as maintaining sterility or avoiding medication errors, are also important in their own right, they do not directly address the specific health risks associated with exposure to hazardous medications in the same way that using PPE does.