How to Reconstitute a Sterile Product

With the purpose of being used for the treatment of medical conditions or illnesses, sterile drug products must be reconstituted with aseptic technique to ensure that they remain sterile prior to administration. In a hospital pharmacy setting, sterile medications are reconstituted by certified technicians who work in laminar flow hoods that provide sterile air flow over the product vials. In an at-home setting, you can use similar aseptic technique tools to keep sterile drug products as clean as possible for the patient who will receive the medicine.

Things You'll Need

• soap
• clean towel
• individually wrapped sterile rubber gloves
• sterile alcohol
• alcohol wipes
• diluent
• syringe
• 18-gauge needles
• alcohol swabs

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands and arms up to your elbows with soap for at least 30 seconds. After rinsing, use a clean towel to dry off.

• 2

  Set out your sterile drug products. If you are using powdered intravenous medications, such as the antibiotic Voriconazole, flip off the plastic vial tops. If your sterile product is going to be administered orally, such as the oral liquid form of the antibiotic Azithromycin, unscrew the bottle top and leave it upside down in open air.

• 3

  Wipe off the vial tops and diluent bag ports or vials with sterile alcohol swabs. Only use one alcohol swab per item to ensure that all of your items stay sterile.

• 4

  Check each vial or bottle for reconstitution directions. These should indicate how much fluid is needed to reconstitute the drug to the appropriate concentration for your dose. If these instructions are not listed, call the pharmacy where you got the medication from. Consult the pharmacist for the proper amount of diluent.

• 5

  Attach an 18-gauge needle to the end of your syringe. Hold the diluent bag in your left hand. Insert the syringe into bag's port and begin to draw out the necessary amount of fluid. Hit the side of the syringe to collect any air bubbles that may have come into the syringe.

• 6

  Insert the needle into the middle of the vial stopper at a 45-degree angle. This will help you not to core the vial, which is when a small piece of the rubber stopper falls into the vial itself.

• 7

  Slowly push the diluent into the medication vial. If you are reconstituting an oral medication, simply shoot the fluid into the bottle opening.

• 8

  Twist the cap back onto an oral medication bottle or put a vial seal on a powdered intravenous medication vial. Shake the medication until the powder has completely dissolved.