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Editor: Robert Binstock
Profession: Paxil Side Effect Attorney

Category: Paxil News

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH, has proposed adding over 100 new drugs to its current "hazardous drug" list. The list currently has around 30 compounds, most of which are chemotherapy related, as they seem to be most toxic agents. The 100 new candidates include the antidepressant Paxil and the hormone oxytocin.

Exposure to drugs on the list has been tied to rashes, infertility, birth defects, miscarriage, and several types of cancer. It is estimated over five million health care workers are exposed to these dangerous compounds through various working contact.

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, an industry trade group, said in a letter last week that NIOSH should expand the hazardous list carefully. It said the 100 candidates include "drug products for which toxicity from occupational exposure has not been demonstrated and is unlikely," and expanding the list too much would "place undue burden on health systems in terms of time, resources, and costs."

Hazardous drug standards were first adopted in 1980 and introduced such common practices as the use gloves, caps, and gowns amongst other safety related regulations. In more recent times, the standards have been updated to require special air chambers and closed booths to prevent worker exposure. The proposed update will be the first since 2004.