Scott Adams, publisher of Repertoire Magazine, sat down with Mark Steele, executive vice president of Nuance Medical, to discuss how distribution representatives can be the hero helping physicians address HAZMAT materials in their offices.
With so many advances in healthcare safety, today’s product environment is more about change than ever before, especially with a new generation of healthcare workers who are very cognizant of safety. Adams and Steele discuss distribution representatives’ responsibilities of being on the frontlines with physicians and nurses regarding HAZMAT materials.
Steele says physicians and nurses test positive for many different chemicals in their hair and blood samples through biomonitoring due to their work environments. It’s the distribution representatives’ responsibility to help these frontline workers in physician offices be aware of safer alternatives.
Distribution representatives should:
- Identify who is responsible for the safety of HAZMAT products in the physician office.
- Ask about their use of HAZMAT products and if they’re aware of safer alternatives.
- Ask if any of these products can be immediately converted to safer alternatives to reduce risk and exposure.
- Ask vendors to disclose whether their products contain carcinogens, persistent bio accumulative toxics, mutagens, asthmagens or reproductive toxicants.
- Educate physician offices on identifying vendors that manufacture safer alternatives to dangerous products and that are concerned about the safety of their products, customers and the environment.