There are numbers of pharmaceutical manufacturing industries and healthcare units that deals with hazardous drugs. More than 5.5 millions of professionals all across the world are vulnerable to occupational exposures to hazardous drugs. The workers engaged in all sorts of drug activities may get exposed to hazardous drugs during drug manufacture, handling, administration, transport, distribution, disposal, waste treatment etc. These workers include pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, shipping and receiving personnel, physicians, nursing personnel, environmental services personnel, operating room personnel, research laboratory personnel and also the workers engaged in veterinary sectors where these harmful drugs are used. Chemotherapy, a treatment for cancer includes the use of antineoplastic and cytotoxic drugs that are highly hazardous and the healthcare professionals engaged in the handling of these drugs are more prone to occupational exposures to hazardous drugs.

There are a number of evidences that proves the disastrous affects of perilous drugs. According to recent surveys, medical staffs that administer and prepare these harmful drugs have higher amounts of mutagenic elements in their urine as compared to the non-exposed workers. Other disastrous effects of occupational exposures are skin and eye allergies, urine mutagenecity, sterility, reproductive and respiratory disorders, loss of eyesight, chromosomal aberrations, congenital malformations, spontaneous abortions, leukemia and cancer.

A recent study revealed learning disabilities in the children of the workers who had handled cytotoxic and antineoplastic drugs during the span of their employment. Hence, occupational exposures to hazardous drugs are highly lethal. Therefore, the workers engaged in the spectrum of harmful drugs must adhere to all the safety guidelines to prevent themselves from the perilous clutches of these drugs.