Problem:
Hillcrest Hospital is a facility with 200 beds and includes an intensive care unit. The nursing staff on the intensive care unit administers chemotherapy and other hazardous agents that are needed for patients with critical conditions. Recently, the unit director and your pharmacy manager discovered that some drugs are being improperly disposed of on this unit. This presents a risk to hospital staff, patients, and waste management service workers. This also can cause the hospital and personnel to be fined for improper disposal. Your pharmacy manager has asked you to draft an email to the patient floor staff to educate them about which agents are considered hazardous, risks of improper disposal, and how to properly dispose of hazardous medications and materials.