The Advantages of Prefilled Syringe Cartridges

Prefilled syringe cartridges are designed to fit into specialized syringes, which are used to administer various fluid medications. These are used in the place of standard syringes, which practitioners must fill manually before each does is administered. While the first prefilled syringe cartridges were made of polypropylene, according to americanpharmaceuticalreview.com, as of 2000 cyclic olefin polymers and copolymers are now more widely used. Some of the advantages of prefilled syringe cartridges include their convenience, affordability, accuracy, sterility and safety.

Convenience

• According to boschpackaging.com, filling standard syringes can be a time-consuming and intricate process. During an emergency that requires a quick injection—such as an allergic reaction—syringes with prefilled syringe cartridges can save time, and in turn, save lives. Also, because prefilled cartridges allow injections to be administered more quickly, in busy hospital settings they can reduce congestion in emergency rooms and other treatment areas.

Affordability

• Standard syringes feature cylindrical glass barrels and tightly fitting glass rods, which require minimal tolerances (or variations in quantity). According to patentstorm.us, because of these construction specifications, they are much more expensive to manufacture in comparison to plastic-based prefilled cartridges and their corresponding syringes. Additionally, prefilled cartridges are much less likely to crack or otherwise break in comparison to their standard, glass counterparts.

Accuracy

• Another advantage of prefilled syringe cartridges is that they narrow the gap for human error, and assure that patients receive accurate dosages. This is especially beneficial for patients who need to self-inject medication, but have no medical training. According to boschpackaging.com, with standard syringes it is possible to overfill (or underfill) the barrel, which could negatively impact the effectiveness of the treatment.

Sterility

• According to americanpharmaceuticalreview.com, once a standard syringe is filled with a medication, that medication will remain optimally effective, or sterile, for approximately 12 hours. In comparison, a medication stored inside of a prefilled syringe cartridge will remain sterile for approximately two to three years (this is also referred to as a “shelf life” of two to three years).

Safety

• As mentioned above, prefilled syringe cartridges have a high level of accuracy, which in turn makes them safer to use. Additionally, according to patentstorm.us, some cartridges are designed to fit into self-aspirating syringes, which essentially prick your skin and inject medications without you having to push on a plunger. This ensures that injections reach the appropriate depth, and that dosages are administered smoothly, and in their entirety.