How to draw a dose out of a sterile vial

How do I draw a dose out of a sterile vial?

Prep

• Gather all of your supplies (medicine vial, syringe, alcohol swabs, sharps container)

• Make sure you are working in a clean area away from contaminants

• Wash your hands

Check the medicine

• Check the vial to make sure you have the right medications

• Check the date on the vial to make sure that it is not past the expiration date.

• You may have a multi-dose vial or a vial with powder that needs to be mixed prior to injection. Read or ask about instructions if you have to mix your medicine.

• If you are going to be using the vial more than once, write the date that you opened the vial on it or make a note of it.

• Look at the medicine in the vial. Check for a change in color, small pieces floating in the liquid, cloudiness, or any other changes.

Get the vial ready

Prepare the vial:

• If this is your first time using the medication, remove the cap or foil seal.

• Wipe the rubber top with an alcohol swab.

Filling the syringe with medicine

Follow these steps to fill the syringe with medicine:

• Hold the syringe in your hand like a pencil, with the needle pointed up.

• With the cap still on, pull back on the plunger to the line on your syringe for your dose. This fills the syringe with air.

• Remove the cap of the needle. Insert the needle into the rubber top. Do not touch or bend the needle.

• Push the air into the vial. This keeps a vacuum from forming in the vial. If you put in too little air, it will be difficult to draw the medicine out. If you put in too much air, the medicine may be forced out of the syringe.

• Turn the vial upside down and hold it in the air. Keep the needle inserted in the vial.

• Pull back the plunger to the line on your syringe for your dose. For example, if you need 1 ml of medicine, pull the plunger back to the line marked 1 ml. Note: that some bottles or syringes may use “cc” instead of “ml.” 1 cc = 1 ml. They are used interchangeably.

To remove air bubbles from a syringe:

• Keep the syringe tip in the medicine vial.

• Tap the syringe with your finger to move the air bubble to the top. Then gently push on the plunger to the air bubbles back into the vial.

• If you have a lot of air bubbles, push the plunger to push all of the medicine back into the vial. Draw medicine out again slowly and tap air bubbles out. Double check that you still have the right amount of medicine drawn.

• Remove the syringe from the vial and keep the needle clean.

• If you plan on putting the syringe down, put the cover back on the needle.

If you ever feel unsure about your technique, our pharmacists are here to help in any way we can.