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Recent, important updates from the EU and the UK on Hazardous Medicinal Products protections in healthcare

  • The ETUI (European Trade Institute) List of Hazardous Medicinal Products 2022 - The objective of this ETUI report and the list included is to identify which HMPs fall under the legislative scope of the CMRD in Europe, so that users of the European 2022 guidelines know which specific HMPs the guidelines now apply to, well ahead of the Commission’s indicative list, to be published by 2025. Read more here.

  • The EU Commission press release Hazardous Medicinal Products: Commission communication to improve the protection of workers – April 2025. The Communication follows on from Article 18a of Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic substances at work.  
    It was issued following the request of the co-legislators to develop a definition and establish an indicative list of HMPs or the substances contained therein no later than 5 April 2025. Read more here. 
     

  • EU Commission Guidance for the Safe Management of Hazardous Medicinal Products at Work 2023 – The guide was developed to provide practical examples for reducing the workers’ exposure to hazardous medicinal products across all lifecycle stages: production, transport and storage, preparation, administration to human patients and animal patients as well as waste management. Read more here. 

  • European Biosafety Network 2023 millions of workers, mostly women, in Europe will be protected for the first time by EU and national law from the impact of regular exposure in the workplace to potentially life-threatening hazardous drugs – hazardous medicinal products (HMPs) – that are used to treat patients with cancer and other major health conditions. Read more here. 
     

  • The Royal College of Nursing Policy and Position Statement – UK April 2025 ‘As nursing staff are at risk of exposure to hazardous medicinal products, the RCN wants to see positive action being taken to protect health care workers now and in the future. We are making calls on the UK Government, the Health and Safety Executive, the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and other relevant enforcement authorities and employers to take preventative action.’ Read more here.

    Peer-reviewed studies, guidance and articles from the past few years can be found here.

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