Supporting awareness of occupational risks from hazardous medicinal products – BOPA and PASG
Dear BOPA Member,
Every day, oncology pharmacy professionals play a vital role in ensuring patients receive safe and effective SACT. Whether preparing, dispensing, transporting or supporting the administration of hazardous medicinal products (HMPs), our members are at the forefront of handling medicines that pose recognised occupational risks if appropriate controls are not in place.
Despite the well-established hazards associated with these medicines, many healthcare professionals remain unaware that the legal protections for occupational exposure differ from those applied to hazardous substances in other industries. BOPA and PASG are working alongside UKONS and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to raise awareness of this important occupational health issue and support informed discussion.
On Wednesday 3 September, Luke Akehurst MP is hosting a roundtable at the House of Commons to explore the occupational risks associated with HMPs and discuss current approaches to protecting healthcare workers. The event will bring together healthcare professionals, professional bodies and parliamentarians to share evidence, clinical experience and perspectives on existing guidance and potential future developments.
As a constituent, you are well placed to make your MP aware of the event and encourage them to attend.
If you are willing to help, it should take no more than five minutes.
- Find your MP using either:
- www.writetothem.com (this identifies your MP from your postcode and sends your message), or
- https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP
- Use the template letter below, personalising it with your own experience. Tell your MP about your role, where you work, and how you are involved in preparing, handling or supporting the use of hazardous medicines. A few sentences in your own words will make your message much more powerful.
- Invite your MP to attend the House of Commons roundtable on 3 September so they can learn directly from healthcare professionals and subject experts.
If your MP replies, we would be grateful if you could forward their response to [email protected] and [email protected]. This helps us understand which MPs are engaging with this important issue.
Thank you for supporting safer workplaces for everyone involved in cancer care.
Kind regards,
Netty Cracknell, Joe Williams and Louisa Knowles
British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) and Pharmacy Aseptic Services Group (PASG)
Template letter to your MP
Subject: Awareness of occupational risks from hazardous medicinal product
Dear [MP Name],
I am writing to you as your constituent and as a [Your Profession] at [Your Workplace/NHS Trust].
In my role, I regularly [briefly describe your role, for example: prepare, dispense, clinically verify or support the administration of chemotherapy and other HMPs]. These medicines are known to pose occupational risks to healthcare workers, with exposure associated with serious health effects including cancer, miscarriage and other reproductive harm.
Despite these risks, the legal protections for healthcare workers handling HMPs remain weaker than those applied to hazardous substances in many other industries. Current regulations require exposure to be reduced only “as low as reasonably practicable”, meaning the level of protection can vary considerably between organisations.
On Wednesday 3 September, Luke Akehurst MP is hosting a roundtable at the House of Commons to discuss how healthcare workers can be better protected from occupational exposure to HMPs. The meeting will bring together MPs, pharmacists, nurses, occupational safety specialists, clinical experts and professional organisations, including the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) and the Pharmacy Aseptic Services Group (PASG), to share evidence and experience relating to occupational exposure to hazardous medicinal products and discuss current guidance and future opportunities to improve staff safety.
As my MP, I would be very grateful if you would attend on behalf of healthcare workers in [Constituency]. The roundtable will provide an opportunity to hear directly from healthcare professionals, occupational safety specialists and clinical experts about the risks associated with handling hazardous medicinal products, understand how current approaches vary across the NHS, and explore the evidence and practical measures that may help further improve the safety of healthcare workers.
Could you please let me know whether you will be able to attend the roundtable on 3 September?
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Home Address – please include this, as MPs can only respond to their own constituents.]
