syringe. The barcode contains information on the strength and expira-
tion date of the drug. Before using a syringe, you first run the barcode
through special scanning technology, which confirms that you've
grabbed the right medication and the right dose.
"You pick up a syringe filled with 10 mg of morphine and scan it,"
says Allen Vaida, PharmD, executive vice president at the Institute for
Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). "If it's 20 Mg of morphine, it's not
going to scan."
The same is true if it's the wrong type of medication or the drug's
expiration date has passed, according to Mr. Vaida, who says some
companies have a slightly different take on barcoding technology with
platforms that confirm you're using the right drug and dose.
3. Tamper-proof caps
Some prefilled syringes feature tamper-proof caps to reduce the risk
of drug diversion. The caps work like this: After the syringe has been
compounded and filled, the drug manufacturer affixes a cylindrical
hard plastic top. After that top is taken off the syringe, it can't be put
back on.
"It's like buying a soda and breaking the seal," says Mr. Karwoski. "If
that cap is removed, it can't be replaced."
Tamper-proof caps aren't new — many companies market caps for
vials that can be crimped over the plastic vial seal, allowing you to flip
the top of the cap off to reveal the seal underneath. But, unlike
syringe tamper-proof caps, the vial caps can come off and, "it doesn't
necessarily mean that someone's entered the vial," says Mr. Karwoski.
With tamper-proof prefilled syringe caps, there's no doubt the syringe
has been used.
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