The NIOSH Hazardous Drug List, Explained
USP 800 tells you to protect staff from hazardous drugs — but which drugs count? That’s the NIOSH hazardous drug list. Here’s what it is, and what it means for how you handle and dispose of those drugs.
In this guide
What is the NIOSH hazardous drug list?
The NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) list identifies drugs hazardous to the workers who handle them. USP 800 references it: any drug on the list must be handled with hazardous-drug precautions — from receiving to disposal.
The three groups on the list
- Group 1 — antineoplastic (chemotherapy) drugs
- Group 2 — non-antineoplastic hazardous drugs
- Group 3 — drugs with reproductive risk
How hazardous-drug waste is disposed of
Hazardous-drug waste splits at disposal: trace chemotherapy waste (empty vials, IV bags, PPE) is incinerated in yellow containers, while bulk and RCRA-hazardous drugs are manifested to a permitted facility. Correct disposal is a core part of USP 800.
Close the disposal gap in USP 800.
Trace chemo and RCRA-hazardous drug disposal, handled to spec — incinerated or manifested, with a Certificate of Destruction.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NIOSH hazardous drug list?
A list from NIOSH identifying drugs hazardous to workers who handle them, referenced by USP 800 to determine which drugs require hazardous-drug precautions including in disposal.
How does the NIOSH list relate to USP 800?
USP 800 uses the NIOSH list to define hazardous drugs; any drug on the list must be handled and disposed of under hazardous-drug rules.
Are all chemo drugs on the NIOSH list?
Most antineoplastic (chemotherapy) drugs are in NIOSH Group 1, plus other hazardous and reproductive-risk drugs in Groups 2 and 3.
How is NIOSH-listed drug waste disposed of?
Trace-contaminated materials are incinerated as trace chemo (yellow containers); bulk and RCRA-hazardous drugs are manifested to a permitted facility.