The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) updated its standards for pharmaceutical compounding and hazardous drug handling. The long-awaited USP Chapter 797 revision became official on Nov. 1, 2023. This also makes the latest revision of USP Chapter 800 compendial. Because hospitals have had plenty of time to prepare for the changes, it’s likely that many state pharmacy boards and accrediting agencies will expect immediate compliance.

That’s why health systems need to be aware of what’s changing in order to avoid potential sanctions or fines. Here are five key considerations that should be top-of-mind as you adapt to the revised chapters. 

1. Medication waste

The changes to beyond-use dates highlighted in USP <797> are more conservative now and do not allow for extending as they previously did. This may cause more waste for your operation. If you’re not willing to meet all the requirements for Category 3 compounded sterile preparations (CSPs), your organization may need to devise alternative ways to provide just-in-time or on-demand medications. Meeting Category 3 CSP requirements could also increase costs for gowning, environmental monitoring and testing. Read more >