Infection Control in Pharmacy Practice

Standard Precautions

Infection control in pharmacy protects both patients and staff. Standard precautions apply to all patient interactions and include hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and proper handling and disposal of sharps and contaminated materials. Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure to prevent infection transmission.

Pharmacy technicians who administer immunizations or handle blood products must follow additional precautions including wearing gloves, proper disposal of needles in sharps containers, and knowing the post-exposure protocol for needlestick injuries.

Clean Room and Compounding

Sterile compounding areas require the highest level of infection control. Clean room standards include HEPA-filtered air, positive or negative pressure rooms (depending on the preparation type), controlled access, and environmental monitoring. Personnel must complete proper garbing and hand-washing procedures before entering.

Regular surface cleaning with appropriate disinfectants, air sampling, and personnel competency testing ensure ongoing compliance with USP 797 standards.

Review for the PTCB

Infection control is a patient safety topic on the PTCB exam. Study with flashcards and mini exams.