Hazardous drug exposures have been associated with many detrimental effects. Exposure to these drugs can occur at any point from receipt of the drug to disposal. Several guidelines exist on how to safely handle hazardous drugs; however, many of the guidelines have not been enforced by state or federal regulations. As State Boards of Pharmacies and/or agencies will be enforcing the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) <800> guidelines for handling hazardous drugs in the healthcare setting, healthcare organizations must have policies and procedures in place to protect healthcare workers, patients, and the environment to reduce exposures. Nurses need to have awareness about USP <800> guidelines to mitigate their risk of exposure and to help others comply with the related policies and procedures. This education activity will describe the criteria defined by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for classifying a drug as hazardous and the types of health risks that healthcare works could experience relate to exposure. How and when an exposure to hazardous drugs can occur and the nursing implications for reducing exposures to hazardous drugs will also be discussed.