Syringes and vials have been used for many years for drug delivery. The use of these injections has helped in the drug delivery process for centuries. Doctors and nurses used these syringes to inoculate the patients. Recently, it has been reported that prefilled syringes are becoming increasingly famous in the modern age. According to a report, the use of prefilled syringes will increase further till 2028.
These prefilled syringes already have the accurate amount of dose present in the barrel of these syringes which can help to reduce the time of preparation of the injection and drawing of the medicine into the needle. This helps to make the inoculation process easier and faster. It also helps to avoid any dosing errors.
Prefilled syringes
Performance
Prefilled syringes are an easy way as compared to the old syringes. These prefilled syringes consist of four parts which include
• Plunger
• Stopper
• Barrel
• Needle
All of these components should function properly to make sure the proper use of a prefilled syringe.
Components of a prefilled syringe
There are two main types of prefill-able syringes which include
Needle-free PFS
PFS syringe that is mostly used for vaccine products.
Needled PFS
PFS syringe that is used for biological and pharmaceutical drug products.
Benefits of prefilled syringes
Prefillable syringes are becoming increasingly popular as compared to traditional old syringes. The reason for this popularity is that prefilled syringes provide several benefits as compared to old syringes. Some of the benefits of prefilled syringes are as follows.
• Reduced wastage
Compared to the old syringes, the prefilled syringes do not need to be filled every time before use. This helps to reduce the overfilling of expensive drugs and consequently minimizes drug wastage. In this way, prefilled syringes can help to save costs and resources.
• No dosage errors
As the prefilled syringes are already filled with the correct amount of dosage, it makes sure that no dosage errors occur. It also reduces the risk of medical errors and misidentification of doses. In this way, it can save patients from any dosage errors and their consequent problems.
• Ease in administration
As prefilled syringes do not require to be administered as regular syringes due to the elimination of the steps required in preparing a syringe, these prefilled syringes are easy to use as compared to the old syringes.
• Convenient in use
Prefilled syringes are convenient for healthcare workers. It is also an easy way for self-administration and use in the case of emergencies.
• Lower costs
Due to the fewer materials used and easy storage and disposal, prefilled syringes reduce cost as compared to syringes.
• Hygiene
As the doses in the prefilled syringes are already filled, there is no chance of any type of contamination from any source to the doses. This ensures the complete hygienic process of injections.
BD prefilled syringe
• Improved break resistance
As the plastic material is being used for syringes now, it has a low risk of breakage and thus helps in resistance to breakage as compared to syringes that use glass containers.
• Self-injection technologies
Prefilled syringes are easy to use at home as they do not require the steps to prepare the injection. For this reason, pen injectors and auto-injectors are becoming increasingly popular for self-administered injections. Prefilled insulin syringes are used by many people at home. Also, prefilled injections are used for other diseases including autoimmune diseases, cancer, and allergies.
Key factors that need to be considered while using prefilled syringes
Prefilled syringes should be used with utmost care to avoid any problems or complications. The following factors must be taken into consideration before using a prefilled syringe.
• If the prefilled syringes are stored in refrigerators, the prefilled syringes should be taken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before use.
• The name of the medication, dose, and expiry date of the prefilled syringe should be checked to make sure that all the details are accurate.
• Also, the color of the medication in the syringe should be carefully checked to ensure that it is clear and colorless. The syringe should never be used if the medication is foamy, discolored, cloudy, or has crystals in it.
How to use prefilled syringes
Prefilled syringes
The use of Prefilled syringes should be done carefully and must be done by someone who knows how to use these syringes. Prefilled syringes should be used in the following way.
• Take out the syringe from its packaging and remove the needle cover by holding it like a pen. You should take care to not touch the needle or touch any other thing with the needle to prevent any type of contamination.
• Hold the needle in the way that the needle is pointing upwards and check for bubbles inside the syringe. To remove these bubbles push the plunger up.
• Now push the entire need in one quick movement into the skin without pushing the plunger.
• After this, push the plunger down to inject the entire medicine.
• After you have injected the entire medication and the syringe is empty, pull it out smoothly.
• Now cover the needle with the needle guard and throw it away. A prefilled syringe should never be used more than once.
• If you are giving yourself a prefilled injection at home and feel any kind of abnormal reaction after giving the injection, you should immediately seek medical assistance.
Conclusion
For the past many years, traditional syringes have been used for injecting patients. These syringes took a long time to administer and prepare. Also, they were costly and had a higher risk of overdose. Also, these syringes caused the wastage of expensive medicines which was a major drawback of these syringes. Recently, most people have started to use prefilled syringes. Prefilled syringes are also used by people at home for self-administering and giving an injection to oneself at home because of their ease. Prefilled syringes are becoming increasingly popular because of the numerous benefits these syringes provide. Their benefits include ease, convenience, safety, cost reduction, low wastage, and the accurate type and amount of medicine. Due to the numerous benefits these syringes provide, these prefilled syringes are the preferred choice as compared to traditional syringes. Also, the ratio of doctors and nurses using prefilled syringes is increasing day by day which means that these syringes have a promising future.
PhD Scholar (Pharmaceutics), MPhil (Pharmaceutics), Pharm D, B. Sc.
Uzma Zafar is a dedicated and highly motivated pharmaceutical professional currently pursuing her PhD in Pharmaceutics at the Punjab University College of Pharmacy, University of the Punjab. With a comprehensive academic and research background, Uzma has consistently excelled in her studies, securing first division throughout her educational journey.
Uzma’s passion for the pharmaceutical field is evident from her active engagement during her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) program, where she not only mastered industrial techniques and clinical case studies but also delved into marketing strategies and management skills.
