​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How do I keep others safe when I’m taking a known hazard medicine?

There are important safety mea​sures that you and your caregivers should follow to keep people and pets around you safe.

For their safety, tell every healthcare provider who has contact with you that you’re taking a known hazard medicine.

How long do I need to follow the safety measures?

Follow the safety measures for taking a known hazard medicine during the precautionary period. This period:

• starts when you take your first dose of the known hazard medicine
• ends​ 48 hours after you take your last dose of the known hazard medicine

Some medicines have a longer precautionary period​​. If you aren’t sure how long the precautionary period is for the medicine you’re taking, ask your healthcare provider.

Where do I get safety supplies?

You may get some safety supplies from the pharmacy or clinic where you get your medicine.

You may need to buy other supplies, such as Nitrile disposable gloves, from another pharmacy or medical supply company.

How do I store my known hazard medicine?

Always keep known hazard medicine in its original packaging.

If you use a pill box, dosette, or blister pack, talk to your pharmacist about using a separate one for your known hazard medicine.

Keep your known hazard medicine in a safe place:

• away from children and pets
• away from your other medicines or the medicines of other people in your home
• away from food and drink and places where you eat, if possible

Check the label on the medicine container and talk to your pharmacist to learn more about storing your medicine safely.

​​​​​​​​​​Can I touch others?

It’s important to be with loved ones. It’s safe to eat together, enjoy activities together, and touch, hug, and kiss your loved ones.

​​Can I have sex?

Some of the known hazard medicine may be in vaginal fluid and semen during the precautionary period. Ask your healthcare provider if you need to use a condom for sex (oral, anal, vaginal).

Can I get pregnant, get someone pregnant, or breastfeed?

You and your partner should not get pregnant while you’re being treated with a hazardous medicine. Your care team can offer you more information about family planning. If you or your partner gets pregnant, talk to your healthcare provider right away.

You should not breastfeed while you’re being treated with a hazardous medicine. Ask your health care provider about your medicine if you have any questions.

A caregiver who is pregnant or breastfeeding should not handle any known hazard medicine. If they must care for someone who’s in the precautionary period, the caregiver should:

• always wear gloves
• wash their hands with soap and water before putting on the gloves and after taking them off
• talk to their own healthcare provider

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How do I take or how would a caregiver give me a known hazard medicine safely?

Always wash your hands with soap and water before and after taking a known hazard medicine.

Caregivers should never touch the known hazard medicine with their bare hands. They should always wear gloves, and wash their hands before and after​ handling the medicine.

If your medicine is damaged—for example, a broken pill (or powder found in the medicine container), leaking liquid, or a cloudy injection—talk to your pharmacist before taking it.

Taking a pill​

Don’t chew, crush, dissolve, break, or open pills (tablet or capsule) unless your pharmacist tells you to. To take a known hazard pill by mouth:

1. Pour the pill into a cup (disposable, if possible) or into the cap of the medicine bottle. Try not to touch the medicine with your bare hands.
2. Tip the cup into your mouth and swallow the pill with a liquid.
3. If you’re using a non-disposable cup, wash the cup with soap and water after using it.

Taking a liquid medicine

To take a liquid known hazard medicine by mouth or through a feeding tube, use the pre-filled oral syringe (if your pharmacist gave you one).

If your medicine isn’t in a pre-filled oral syringe, use an oral syringe from your pharmacist to measure out 1 dose. Ask your pharmacist how to clean the syringe after using it.

Taking the medicine other ways

To take a known hazard medicine by an injection (with a needle), follow the instructions from your healthcare provider.

To apply a known hazard medicine as a cream, gel, or ointment, wear gloves and follow the instructions from your healthcare provider.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How do I or a caregiver safely throw out known hazard medicine?

Ask your pharmacist how to throw away a known hazard medicine safely—for example, ask what container to use and what to do with the container.

Don’t put any known hazard medicine in the garbage or a sharps container, and don’t flush them down a toilet. If you have extra medicine, ask your pharmacy if you can return it.

Don’t put any sharps (like glass vials, syringes, and needles) in the same container as unused, partly used, or expired medicine.

How do I or a caregiver safely throw out garbage that had contact with the medicine or my body fluids?

Throw out used supplies and garbage (such as empty medicine containers or packages, paper towels, bandages, or diapers and pads) in the regular garbage:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Put on gloves.
3. Put the garbage and your gloves into a garbage bag. Try not to touch the opening of the bag.
4. Tie the bag securely and place it into a second garbage bag. It’s now double-bagged.
5. Tie the second bag securely and throw it out with your regular garbage.
6. Wash your hands with soap and water.

Keep the garbage away from children and pets.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How do I or a caregiver handle my body fluids and waste safely?

Body fluids and waste include:

• urine (pee)
• stool (poop)
• blood
• vomit (throw up)
• saliva (spit)
• sweat

During the precautionary period, some of the chemicals in the medicine may leave your body through your body fluids and waste. Contact with these fluids may harm other people or pets.

Try not to touch body fluids and waste. Caregivers should always wear gloves when handling your body fluids and waste.

​Everyone​ should wash their hands with soap and water before and after handling your body fluids and waste, even if they’re wearing gloves.

After handwashing, everyone should use their own towel or paper towel to dry their hands.

Toilets

If possible, use a different bathroom than other people in your home.

If you have to share a bathroom, use soap and water or a disinfecting wipe to clean the toilet seat, rim, lid, and handle when you’re done.

Sit on the toilet when you pee, so you don’t splash outside the toilet bowl. When you’re done, close the toilet lid and flush 2 times. Then wash your hands with soap and water.

If you can’t control your bladder or bowels or you wear diapers or pads

Use plastic-backed sheets or disposable plastic-backed pads on your mattress or furniture. Use them even if you wear a diaper or pad.

Change diapers or pads right away. Your skin should be cleaned with soap and water and dried well. Throw out all disposable items with the regular garbage (see Throwing out medicine, used supplies, and garbage).

To clean items like bedpans, urinals, or commodes, do the following:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Caregivers must also put on gloves.
2. Carefully em​pty the waste into the toilet, then close the lid and flush 2 times.
3. Wash the item with water and soap. Do this after each use and at least once per day.
4. After washing the item, pour the soap and water cleaning solution in the toilet. Then rinse the item with water and pour the rinse water in the toilet. Close the toilet lid and flush 2 times.
5. Dry the item with a paper towel.
6. Throw the paper towel and gloves into a double bag, and throw them out in the regular garbage (see Throwing out medicine, used supplies, and garbage).
7. Wash your hands with soap and water.

If you throw up

Try to throw up directly into the toilet. Close the toilet lid and flush 2 times, then wash your hands with soap and water.

If you throw up in a reusable bucket, do the following:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Caregivers must also put on gloves.
   
2. Empty the bucket directly into the toilet.
3. Wash the bucket with soap and water and pour the soap and water into the toilet.
4. Rinse the bucket and pour the water into the toilet.
5. Close the toilet lid and flush 2 times.
6. Dry the bucket with paper towel.
   
7. If you’re wearing gloves, take them off and place them in a double bag.
8. Throw out the bag in the regular garbage (see Throwing out medicine, used supplies, and garbage).
9. Wash your hands with soap and water.

If you throw up in a disposable container, do the following:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Caregivers must also put on gloves.
2. Empty the container directly into the toilet.
3. ​Rinse out the container with water and pour the water into the toilet.
4. Close the toilet lid and flush 2 times.
5. If you’re wearing gloves, take them off. Put the gloves and the disposable container in a double bag.
6. Throw the bag out in the regular garbage (see Throwing out medicine, used supplies, and garbage).
7. Wash your hands with soap and water.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​How do I or a caregiver do laundry safely?

If laundry (towels, bedding, clothes) had no contact with the known hazard medicine or your body fluids, you can wash it normally.

If laundry had contact with the known hazard medicine or your body fluids, wash it as soon as possible. Keep it separate from other laundry. If you can’t wash it right away, put it in a plastic bag, tie it tightly, and put it in another bag until you can wash it.

Follow these steps to do the laundry safely:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. Caregivers must also put on gloves.
2. Put the laundry directly into the washing machine.
3. Throw out the gloves using 2 garbage bags in the regular garbage (see Throwing out medicine, used supplies, and garbage​).
4. Wash your hands with soap and water.
5. Wash the laundry 2 times with detergent. Use bleach if it’s OK for the fabric, and hot​ water (cold water can’t clean this type of laundry properly).

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​What if the medicine or my body fluid has contact with someone’s eyes, skin, or clothes?

If the medicine or body fluids have contact with a person’s eyes, skin, or clothes (including bedding), take care of the person first, and then clean up the spill. (See Cleaning up spills.)

Contact with eyes

To flush eyes that had contact with the medicine or body fluids:

1. Wash hands with soap and water. Caregivers must also put on gloves.
2. If the person is wearing contact lenses, take them out and throw them away.
3. Flush the eyes with warm, fresh running water for 15 minutes while keeping eyes open.
   
4. Wash hands with soap and water.

Immediately call Health Link at 811 or get medical help right away.

Contact with skin, clothing, or bedding

To clean skin that had contact with the medicine or body fluids:

1. Wash hands with soap and water. Caregivers must also put on gloves.
2. Take off the clothing or remove bedding that had contact with the medicine or body fluids. (See Doing laundry​ to learn how to wash clothing and bedding safely.)
3. Use soap and water to wash the skin for 15 minutes. Do this in the shower if needed.
   
4. Pat the skin dry.
5. Wash hands with soap and water.

If the skin gets irritated or a rash starts, call your clinic, family doctor, or Health Link at 811.​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​What is a spill?

A spill isn’t just a liquid. It could be the powder from a cut tablet or a broken capsule.

What supplies do I need to clean up a spill?

Your healthcare provider will talk to you about a spill kit, which includes all the supplies you need to clean up​ a spill. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions.

You can also make your own spill kit with these items:

• disposable rags or pads, paper towels, or toilet paper
• chemotherapy gown (only if the spill might get on your clothes)
• N95 mask
• goggles
• 2 garbage bags
• 2 pairs of gloves
  

Cleaning up a spill

Before you clean the spill:

• Keep other people and pets out of the spill area.
• If the medicine or body fluids has contact with a person’s eyes, skin, or clothes (including bedding), take care of the person first (See Contact with eyes or skin for first aid care).
• Don’t step in the spill or touch it with your bare hands.
• Try not to breathe in any spilled medicine.

Follow these steps carefully to clean the spill:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Put on a gown if you think you may get some of the spill on your clothes.
3. Put on an N95 mask.
4. Put on goggles.
5. Put on gloves (2 pairs if possible). If you’re wearing a gown, the first pair of gloves goes under the cuffs of the sleeves. The second pair goes over the cuffs of the sleeves.
6. Only touch the spill area—nowhere else.
7. Start at the area with the smallest amount of spill and move to the area with the most spill.
8. Soak up the spill with pads from the spill kit or disposable rags, pads, paper towels, or toilet paper. If the spill was a powder, put a little water on the pad, rag, or towels first to help wipe up the powder.
9. Put everything used to soak up or wipe the spill directly into the first garbage bag. Try not to touch the opening of the bag.
10. Use dish soap or laundry detergent and warm water to wash the area 3 times—soap then water, soap then water, soap then water. Between each soap and water cycle, wipe the area dry with disposable rags, pads, or paper towel.
11. Put everything used to wash the spill area into the first garbage bag.
12. Rinse the spill area with clean water and clean, disposable rags, pads, or paper towels. Put them in the first garbage bag. Try not to touch the opening of the bag.
13. Dry the area with clean, disposable rags, pads, or paper towels and put them in the first garbage bag.
14. Carefully take off, in the following order, your outer gloves, gown, googles, and then N95 mask. Put them into the first garbage bag.
15. Close up the first garbage bag and put it inside the second garbage bag.
16. Carefully take off your inner gloves and put them in the second garbage bag.
17. Close up the second garbage bag tightly and throw it out with your regular garbage (see Throwing out medicine, used supplies, and garbage​).
18. Wash your hands with soap and water.

After cleaning up the spill, call your healthcare provider and tell them about the spill.