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Selecting an appropriate sanitizer (i.e., "rub") for application to hands and gloves before and, if necessary, during sterile compounding is as important as is its consistent and judicious use. Alcohols and chlorhexidine gluconate, which have long been recognized as safe and powerful biocides, are often essential ingredients in such sanitizing products. In this second article in a 2-part series on alcohol-based hand and glove sanitizers, we review the selection of and need for those rubs in sterile compounding, present considerations for their safe storage, compare the features of several appropriate sanitizing agents, and answer compounders' frequently asked questions about their use. Glove sanitizing is discussed as part of the hand-sanitizing process. In part 1 of this series, we explained, among other topics, the mechanism of action and composition of alcohol-based sanitizers and presented a protocol for their application to hands and gloves., (Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.)

In pharmaceutical compounding, strict adherence to a protocol for hand hygiene and glove sanitizing is essential to ensure the purity, safety, and effectiveness of sterile preparations; reduce patient morbidity and mortality; and decrease the cost of health care. Alcohols and chlorhexidine gluconate are among the most effective bactericides, virucides, and fungicides, and acquired resistance to those agents has not been shown in clinical practice. This article, which is part 1 in a series of 2, pertains primarily to alcohol-based hand rubs that are appropriate for use in sterile compounding (glove sanitizing is discussed as part of the handsanitizing process). In a brief overview of those products, we define pertinent terminology, examine the necessity of and requirements for the use of sanitizers, review their mechanism of action and composition, consider factors pertinent to their selection, and present a protocol for their application. In part 2 of this series, the topics examined include a comparison of various alcohol-based sanitizers and answers to compounders' frequently asked questions about their use., (Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.)