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Hazardous drugs pose risks to health care workers. To reduce the risk of occupational exposure for all workers, several protective and monitoring measures have been recommended and implemented over the past two decades. This study was undertaken to describe traces contamination with ten antineoplastic drugs in the oncology care unit of two university hospitals.

Objective: To compare the role and perception of hospital pharmacists in the dispensing of oral cancer drugs (MAVO) in Europe and North America. Method: Descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional study. Identification of a hospital pharmacist by targeted legal entity. 44 variables were identified and grouped into three themes: demographics (n = 3), perceptions of current practice (n = 31), perceptions of the assignment of nine pharmaceutical tasks (n = 10) and an optimal scenario of care. Questionnaire in English and French on SurveyMonkey®, Palo Alto (CA, USA), tested by five hospital pharmacists and sent by email. Results: Fourteen respondents (14/21, 67 %) provided usable answers (e.g., 7 in Europe: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Netherlands and Switzerland, and 7 in North America: Quebec, Alberta, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and the United States). Validation of MAVO prescription compliance involves the hospital pharmacist in 12 cases out of 14. A majority of respondents (11/14) do not have enough resources to ensure quality supervision of all patients treated by MAVO. Conclusion: Regardless of the legal entity, a majority of respondents consider that the workload is on the rise and that the resources are insufficient to ensure quality pharmaceutical services and care (i.e., safety and proper use). This exploratory study shows the interest of reflecting on the current model of pharmaceutical practice (hospital against pharmacy) in order to ensure adequate and efficient treatment of cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]