Drawing up medication from an ampule

Information contained in this tutorial is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical or billing advice. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting a qualified physician. Please consult your physician before starting any course of treatment or supplementation particularly if you are currently under medical care. Never disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have seen in this tutorial.

The following tutorial will show you how to draw up medication from a glass container called an ampule.

This tutorial includes the following sections, effective preparation, inspecting and preparing the ampule, and drawing up medication.

Certain medications come in a glass container called an ampule. Some of these medications need to be drawn up just prior to administration and cannot be prepared by the pharmacy before arriving at your home.

Ampules come in different colors depending on the type of medication they contain.

First, you should prepare a workspace which has been cleaned with soap and water, such as a tabletop or metal or plastic tray. Your nurse will help you decide on a good work surface and area.

Next, you need to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Rinse your hands to remove all the soap and dry them with a clean paper towel. After drying your hands, use the same towel to turn the faucet off.

Now gather the supplies you will need, which include the medication ampule, syringe, filter, straw needle, alcohol wipes, and a sharps container.

Next, check the medication label for the correct name, drug name and dose, and expiration date. Make sure all of the medication is in the bottom of the ampule.

To do this, gently tap or flick the top of the ampule with your finger to move all of the medication into the bottom of the ampule with the alcohol wipe around the ampule, snap off the top of the ampule using your finger and thumb. Make sure to snap away from you. Put the top of the ampule into the sharps container.

Once the top of the ampule has been snapped off, set the ampule down sitting upright on your clean work area.

Open the package with the needle and set it aside for later use. Be sure to keep the sterile needle inside the package cover.

You will need the needle later to add the medication to the bag.

Open the packages with the syringe and filter straw, being careful not to touch the sterile ends of the syringe and filter straw. Pick up the syringe. Attach the filter straw to the syringe by twisting clockwise until secure. Do not set the syringe down. Insert the filter straw into the center of the open ampule. Be very careful not to tip the ampule over.

Carefully pull back on the syringe plunger to withdraw the amount of medication from the ampule that your doctor has ordered. Your clinician will tell you how much medication to withdraw from the ampule. Carefully remove the syringe from the ampule. Do not set it down. Discard the ampule in the sharps container.

Remove any air from the syringe. Gently tap on the syringe and push up on the syringe plunger to remove the air.

Make sure that you have the correct amount of medication in the syringe.

To add the medication to the bag, you first need to remove the filter straw and attach the needle to the syringe. Remove the filter straw from the syringe and attach the needle to the syringe, twisting clockwise until secure. Refer to the tutorial on how to add the medication to the bag with the syringe and needle.

We hope you have found this tutorial to be helpful. If you have further questions about how to draw up medication from an ampule, please contact your local Coram representative at any time.