Chapter 4: Delivery Systems

Equipment

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems
Definition

Pieces of equipment that allow a drug to follow its designated

route of administration

Syringes

Uses
Injection
Irrigation
Withdrawal of fluids

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Parts of a Syringe

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Kinds of Syringes

Vary in size from 1 mL (1 cc) to 60 mL (60 cc)

Hypodermic syringes are marked with calibrations in mm

Two special types

Tuberculin
Insulin

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Kinds of Syringes

Tuberculin
Narrow, with total capacity of 1 mL
Used for:
Newborn doses
Pediatric doses
Intradermal skin tests
Small doses in adults
Injections just beneath the skin

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Kinds of Syringes

Insulin
Used only for administering insulin to diabetic patients
Has total capacity of 1 mL
Calibrated in units (U), representing strength of insulin per mL
Most insulin used today is U-100 (100 units of insulin per mL)

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Types of Syringe Tips

Luer-lock
Screw-on fitting for needle that minimizes leaks

Slip-tip
Allows needle to be easily slipped on; more prone to leaks

Catheter tip
Long tip for cleaning out tissue, filling body cavities, attaching a
feeding tube

Eccentric tip
Wide syringe tip usually used for oral applications

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Critical Surfaces of Syringes

Any surface that comes into contact with a sterile product,

container, or closure

Examples: tip & plunger

Hold syringe by barrel

Syringe Calibrations

3-mL syringe: each tenth

5- & 10-mL syringes: every two tenths

20-, 30-, 50-, & 60-mL syringes: 1-mL increments

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Needles

Hypodermic needle
Fits onto end of syringe
Used to inject or withdraw a specific amount of fluid

Parts of hypodermic needle

Hub: base that attaches to syringe
Shaft: longest section
Bevel: slanted, portion of needle
Heel: edge of bevel closest to hub
Tip: end of needle furthest from hub

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Needles

Gauge
Diameter of the opening, or lumen
Usually ranges from 28 to 16
The larger the gauge, the smaller the opening

Length
Varies depending on route of administration & body part
Ranges from 3/8 of an inch to 3 1/2 inches

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Filters

Used in combination with needles or other CSP equipment to

help prevent or remove contamination

Sizes
0.22-micron: removes bacteria & particulates
0.45-micron: removes general particulates
1.2-micron: removes fungi & particulates
5-micron: coarse filter; removes glass shards

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Delivery Systems (contd)

Filters

Filter needle
Molded into hub of needle & designed for one-time use
Removes glass shards from glass ampules

Filter straw
A thin, flexible, sterile straw with a filter in hub
Used to withdraw a single dose of fluid from glass ampule

Vented needles
Used primarily for reconstituting a powdered medication

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Needleless Systems
Allow for mixing of drug & base solution without use of
needle & syringe
Examples:

Vial attached directly to IV bag for mixing

Drug & base solution in one bag with a barrier between them

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Intravenous Supplies
IV Administration Set

Parts of an IV system that determine flow rate of fluid or drug

Two types
Vented: for containers that have no venting system (IV
bottles)
Unvented: for containers that have their own venting system
or do not require it (IV bags)

Large-volume IV bag: 500 mL or 1 L

IV piggyback: smaller volume bag piggybacked onto largervolume bag (250 mL, 100 mL, 50 mL)

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Intravenous Supplies (contd)

IV Bags and Bottles

Sizes: 50 mL, 100 mL, 250 mL, 500 mL, 1000 mL

Advantages of plastic bags over glass bottles:

Lighter
Less expensive
Easy to see through
Non-breakable
Take up less volume

Glass bottles used to avoid absorption of drug by plastic bag or

adsorption of drug to bag

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Dosage Containers
Ampule

A sealed, all-glass container containing a single dose of drug

Must be discarded after use

May shed tiny shards of glass, which mix with contents & must
be extracted using a filter needle or straw

Break open neck in laminar airflow workbench toward side

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Dosage Containers (contd)

Single-Dose Vials

Contain one dose of medicine

Are discarded after one use

No preservatives are added, as they are not needed

Top of vial has a rubber stopper, which is pierced by needle

Multiple-Dose Vials

Allow you to use contents more than once

Rubber stopper is punctured several times, exposing CSP to air

Preservatives are included to keep contents stable

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Special Equipment for Sterile

Compounding
High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filtration

HEPA filters are used in all aseptic processing areas

Required to satisfy USPs guidelines for Class 5 environments

Can extract any particles larger than 0.5 microns

Filters must be tested & certified every 6 months

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Special Equipment for Sterile

Compounding (contd)
Laminar Airflow Workbench (LAFW)

A work area that prefilters large contaminants from workspace

Uses HEPA-filtered air in horizontal flow to extract smaller particles

Process
Regular room air is pulled through vent by standard filter
Air is pushed toward back of LAFW
Air passes through HEPA filter
HEPA-filtered air is then forced over work area at 90 ft/min
This sweeps particulate matter away from product being
compounded

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Special Equipment for Sterile

Compounding (contd)
Biological Safety Cabinet

HEPA-filtered air is blown vertically downward through top hood

Required for compounding hazardous compounds

Has clear glass or plastic shield that extends partially down hood

Shield & vertical airflow protect you from hazardous drugs

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Special Equipment for Sterile

Compounding (contd)
Compounding Aseptic Isolator

A LAFW that is completely enclosed

Work surface can only be accessed through glove box openings

Materials & supplies for aseptic processing enter through special

air-lock boxes attached to the unit

Uses a HEPA filter system

Copyright 2011 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins