25 years of safe handling of cytotoxics (antineoplastics) in Israel.
BACKGROUND
Israel is a small country, about the size of Wales, located in the eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea. The Israel Ministry of Health has responsibility for health matters in Israel. All health matters fall under their jurisdiction.
There are about 50 hospitals in Israel with between 300 and 1200 beds including 12 specialist tertiary care centres (6 have facilities to perform bone marrow transplantations). The total number of hospital beds is around 30,000.
Israel's growing population (rising from half a million in 1948 to about 7 million in 2005) has been matched with an equally rapid rise in the use of cytotoxic drugs. The ministry issued guidelines to standardize and harmonize the level of pharmaceutical oncology services in Israel, and improve the professional level of cytotoxic pharmacy services and acknowledged the need to recognize clinical oncology pharmacy as a speciality.


CONCLUSIONS
Over the last 25 years, safe handling of cytotoxics has moved forward in Israel in a manner comparable to that seen in the best of the developed "western" countries.
Cass
Yaakov
Y
Israeli Ministry of Health Central District, 91 Hertzel Street, Ramle 72430, Israel. yaakov9999@walla.com
Setton
Isaac
I
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D010595:Pharmacists; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents