Glass Ampules and Filter Needles

An Example of Implementing the Sixth ‘R’ in Medication Administration

Stein, Heidi G.

Heidi G. Stein, MSN, RNC, CRNI, is a Telemetry Nurse, Morton Plant Mease Health Care, Safety Harbor, FL; Clinical Instructor, BayCare Education, Clearwater, FL; and an Adjunct Faculty Member, St. Petersburg College of Nursing, St. Petersburg, FL.

Additional Reading Infusion Nurses Society (INS). (2000). Infusion nursing standards of practice. Journal of Intravenous Nursing, 23(Suppl. 6), S1-S88.

Acknowledgment: The author would like to thank Dr. Elaine Slocumb and Law Villagomeza for assisting with the editing of this article.

MEDSURG Nursing 15(5):p 290-294, October 2006.

Using filter needles to withdraw medication from glass ampules prevents hazards from glass particle contamination. In the United States, 2% of parenteral medications are packaged in glass ampules. The proper technique for medication preparation from glass ampules is presented, and a competency checklist and suggestions for nurses' compliance to support safety in medication administration are offered.