Mask Shortage Straps Pharmacists Who Need Them To Keep Medicines Pure
Fifteen percent of hospital pharmacists who prepare injectable drugs are going without the the protective masks they typically rely on, or are using substitutes for the masks.
Pharmacy staff who prepare IV drugs inside hospitals are the latest health care workers decrying a shortage of masks as they scramble to prepare medicines for patients with diagnoses ranging from cancer to COVID-19.
The staff wear surgical masks while preparing liquid medications that are to be injected into patients' veins; the point is to avoid inadvertently exhaling any droplets of saliva into the formulas. That's a crucial step in ensuring the medication remains sterile. In addition, pharmacists are in need of to protect themselves as they counsel patients in hospitals.
