A closed packaging system that prevents the exposure of healthcare workers to hazardous anticancer drugs, developed by Sweden's Carmel Pharma, has been introduced in the USA by Baxa.
The new system, called PhaSeal, shifts the emphasis of safe drug handling away from protective clothing and towards improving the packaging of the drug to prevent leakage, according to Agneta Ekblad, vice president for oncology solutions at Baxa. "Traditional thinking relied on containing employees within gowns, masks and gloves in case of drug leakage, which research has shown does not fully protect them", she added.
The PhaSeal system consists of a set of disposable containment devices that connect the original drug vial, syringe and intravenous injection or infusion set together in a sealed pathway. A double membrane prevents drug leakage and keeps the connections dry, while an expansion chamber equalises the pressure in the system to prevent the release of toxic aerosols and vapours.
PhaSeal made its debut in Sweden in 1994 and is used in the majority of Swedish hospitals, according to Carmel. The company is now trying to roll the system out across Europe.