that anesthesia
providers don't
always include all
the key information
they should on
syringe labels. They
might, for example,
list the drug name,
but not the drug
concentration or
expiration date.
Prefilled syringes come labeled with name, date of expiration, con-
centration of drug and amount of drug. Still, experts say you should
carefully read the label on any syringe before you inject it.
• You'll (all but) eliminate unsafe injection practices. You won't
have to worry about staff using multi-dose vials on more than one
patient, accessing medication in non-patient treatment areas, or not
using a new needle and new syringe to enter medication vials.
"You minimize the risk of contamination from transferring the drug
to a syringe, reduce the risk of operator error in volume calculation
and reduce the risk of needle sticks to personnel," says Serafin
Gonzalez, PharmD, CPh, director of pharmacy services at Bascom
Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Fla.
One note of caution: Prefilled syringes are not exempt from the one-
and-done rule. Even though they come in common dosage amounts,
prefilled syringes could have enough medication for more than one
patient. Resist the temptation. "Use pre-filled syringes for only one
patient and discard them at the end of the procedure," says Ms. Segal,
who also adds that you shouldn't carry prefilled syringes from room
to room in containers or scrub pockets
7 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
• COMPOUNDING INTEREST Purchasing medications in prefilled, prelabeled syringes
can reduce medication errors and decrease drug waste.
