The Canadian journal of hospital pharmacy
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Improper preparation of sterile products by hospital or community pharmacies may have serious consequences. Recent reports of deaths or injury to patients as a result of receiving products that were contaminated during their preparation in a pharmacy have highlighted the importance of maintaining good sterile compounding practices. Efforts are now underway to develop revised guidelines for the compounding of sterile products in order to minimize the potential for future recurrence of similar incidents. ⋯ The information provided by respondents provides insight into the types of sterile products being prepared in Canadian hospitals, the training background of staff involved in sterile product preparation, the type of facilities and equipment used for compounding these preparations, and the quality control/quality assurance procedures that are in place in hospital pharmacies. The information arising from this survey underscores the need for comprehensive guidelines or standards with respect to sterile product compounding, and the need for improved training of personnel involved in sterile product compounding. The results should be of interest to hospital pharmacy administrators, pharmacy regulatory bodies, and government agencies responsible for assuring the safety of pharmaceutical products used in patient care.