The device providing primary containment for compounding hazardous drugs is the

• A. Biological Safety Cabinet
• B. Containment Segregated Compounding Area
• C. Closed-System Transfer Device
• D. Air Changes Per Hour

Answer: (A)

Primary containment during hazardous-drug compounding is provided by a Biological Safety Cabinet. This device sits at the work surface and creates a controlled, barriered environment with inward airflow at the opening and HEPA-filtered exhaust, capturing drug aerosols and vapors so they don’t escape into the room. It protects both the worker and the product by physically containing the hazard right at the bench. Other measures play supporting roles but aren’t the immediate barrier: a Containment Segregated Compounding Area is a secondary control designating a room or zone to limit spread, not the bench-level barrier; a Closed-System Transfer Device helps reduce exposure during transfers but relies on a primary containment and doesn’t replace it; and air changes per hour is a metric of room ventilation performance, not a containment device.