Keys to a compatible and durable pharmacy room
Cleaning and sanitizing pharmacy rooms and their various equipment to meet the requirements of usp chapters 797 and 800 requires a high level of attention to detail and the use of well-organized and easy-to-follow protocols.
Although the current usp requirements may mean a significant capital investment to build a compliant and efficient cleanroom facility, however, cleaning protocols can be incorporated into implementation at a low cost.
In addition, understanding and applying proper coating/coating and cleaning procedures can provide a rapid and significant reduction in hazards but requires employee cooperation, which is easily obtained through education and clear written procedures.
Set a schedule
When pecs and secs are established in the pharmacy cleanroom, and there is an understanding of the consistent use of appropriate ppe and particle control measures, deficiencies in the cleaning process can disrupt the supply chain of sterility and cleanliness in general.
For example, the lack of cleaning protocols can produce active particles – of natural origin or allow the penetration of inactive particles that, although not biologically active, act as carriers for microorganisms.
Practices must be developed that cover the processes of:
- Daily cleaning checklist
- Weekly cleaning checklist
- Monthly cleaning checklist
Some pharmacies will have third-party cleaning services that can clean their cleanrooms and exteriors and help maintain a clean environment. In many hospitals, environmental benefits may have this responsibility. However, in most pharmacies, staff clean the controlled environment.
The most important consideration is not who cleans the pharmacy room and equipment but how and when they clean. Detailed cleaning protocol training is essential for establishing an appropriate schedule that should be widely implemented.
In addition, periodic monitoring of ongoing cleaning and maintaining a record of the cleaning schedule is necessary to ensure that cleaning is performed as planned and documented for compliance with usp and your board’s requirements. Pharmacy country.
Understand your cleaning products and solutions
Such as education, ppe, and practice; cleaning and sanitizing materials are essential in the process. Cleaning and disinfecting are two main actions that need to be done (separately). Cleaning and disinfection should take place from the cleanest to the dirtiest.
For example: iso5 cleanroom -> iso class 7 -> iso class 8
Clean and disinfect from top to bottom of the space, starting with the ceiling, then the walls, then the appliances and furniture, and finally, the floor.
Cleaning supplies
Cleaning using a detergent or surfactant solution removes dirt, grime, grease and particles from the surface. Cleaning comes before disinfecting. Think of it like cleaning your home.
If you don’t remove crumbs and spills from the kitchen counter with a wet paper towel, then disinfecting with a bleach spray is ineffective and takes more product to ensure cleanliness. It’s the same concept in a pharmacy cleanroom.
Disinfecting agents
Sanitation is essential for a usp 797-compliant compounding company or hospital pharmacy. But it’s one of the areas that can be very confusing when planning your cleaning protocols. Another reason is that there are many types of disinfectants.
However, they can be divided into two general groups: oxidizing and non-oxidizing agents. Each group kills different types of organisms: oxidizing agents have the power to kill spores, which are the most difficult for microorganisms to eliminate, while non-oxidizing have organic matter.
Non-oxidizing agents:
- Alcohol
- Quaternary ammonium compounds (qac or quats)
- Phenolics (fda notes that phenolics are not designated and are prohibited for use in canada)
Oxidizing agents:
- The halogens
- Peracetic acid
- Hydrogen peroxide
Isopropyl alcohol (ipa) is often used as a sanitizing agent for surfaces in pharma machinery compounding cleanrooms, but 3% hydrogen peroxide and 2% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) solutions are also clean.
The centers for disease control (cdc) declares that a 500 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution is effective against all bacterial contamination. Although many studies support bleach’s disinfectant and antibacterial properties, it cannot clean soil and residue.
According to the manufacturer, the instructions are essential to ensure that cleaning agents’ dilution, storage, use and handling do not reduce performance. Proper dilution ensures that surfaces such as floors, workbenches, and joinery are not damaged as they work to clean correctly.
Standard cleaning protocols
When the dry cleaning room starts working for the first time since construction/installation, or maybe the dry cleaning room has been down for some time
Or finally, perhaps contamination is found, and your designated cleaning facility can be done multiple times to achieve the desired level of cleanliness and laziness. To clean up such situations are:
Triple cleaning – cleaning essential areas and the anteroom three times and first, cleaning with a soap-based cleaner followed by three disinfection cycles: thorough cleaning with two different disinfectants, then a sporicidal agent.
9-time cleaning – cleaning three times three times (which is an investment of time), but for the worst cases, sometimes it is necessary.
Developing your pharmacy’s cleaning protocol
Designing a pharmacy cleaning program requires developing many policies and procedures and educating staff.
Investments in tools and equipment are unwise if the operation and its processes are not adequately monitored. Defining the sop in detail about the procedures, behaviours, practices, tools, and equipment to be used by your employees is a complex but essential task. Your restroom staff is key to implementing effective and sustainable restroom cleaning policies and procedures.
Seek support from management professionals, consultants, and restroom vendors for additional help and guidance on creating and maintaining your restroom environment.