Soriatane???

Nurses General Nursing

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We have a resident on the drug Soriatane. I was told during orientation that since I am a woman of childbearing age, that I should not touch the drug with bare hands. They are in a timed-release capsule, and the woman has a G-tube, so we do break it open. Well, I looked it up, and it told me that only women TAKING the drug were at risk.

Well, we were putting meds away, and now on the new package, it says"HAZARDOUS DRUG: HANDLE WITH GLOVES". It never bothered me until last night. I was giving it in the tube, and the tube got clogged and squirted all over my arms. So I looked on the web and in my drug book again today, and can't find anything about worker precautions.

Does anyone know about this drug??? I was told by a more experienced LPN that as long as I don't ingest it I will be fine(I am married, and pregnancy could be possible at any time). But seeing that on the box, I was wondering how come I can't find any worker precautoins.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.

From what I can find it appears that the precautions are for ingestion only. Soriotane carrys the same warnings as accutane for fetal problems. Very toxic to the embryo!!

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We have a resident on the drug Soriatane. I was told during orientation that since I am a woman of childbearing age, that I should not touch the drug with bare hands. They are in a timed-release capsule, and the woman has a G-tube, so we do break it open. Well, I looked it up, and it told me that only women TAKING the drug were at risk.

Well, we were putting meds away, and now on the new package, it says"HAZARDOUS DRUG: HANDLE WITH GLOVES". It never bothered me until last night. I was giving it in the tube, and the tube got clogged and squirted all over my arms. So I looked on the web and in my drug book again today, and can't find anything about worker precautions.

Does anyone know about this drug??? I was told by a more experienced LPN that as long as I don't ingest it I will be fine(I am married, and pregnancy could be possible at any time). But seeing that on the box, I was wondering how come I can't find any worker precautoins.

Call the pharmacy that filled it and ask for the information on it, as to why that precaution should be taken, to be sent to you.

I would be interested to know, too what they say.

It also seems that if you are having to give it thru a tube, that it should be given in liquid form. Do they not have it in liquid? Looks like that would be safer for you, if it has to go thru a G-tube.

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Well, I called 2 pharmacies. The first one (a huge chain which shall remain nameless) didn't tell me anything, and they said they couldn't help. The 2nd one gave me the number to poison control center. I called them, and she said that oral can be absorbed through the skin, BUT since it was only 10 mg, and it was a g-tube med that I already diluted before it splashed on me, it is highly unlikely of absorbtion.

LOL-I will be more careful next time, but I'm sure other nurses have had tubes clog and when you push, you get more of the med than the pt! :)

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Call the manufacturer and ask them to fax a MSDS sheet (required by law for all chemical compounds) to you for that compound.

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