While the threat level of disease or infection can vary, all needle-stick injuries can cause worry and distress. The psychological effect on the individual can be devastating and disabling.

Patients who are infected with a disease must still receive appropriate medical treatment. So, as well as adequate training in safe work practices to raise awareness about needlestick injuries and how to prevent them, the key to improving healthcare worker safety is to develop safer technology for handling injectable products.

Safer technology for injectable products

Injectable products — in the form of ampoules, bottles and vials — account for nearly a quarter of the world pharmaceutical market, with the majority sold directly to hospitals. When the daily use of these products is calculated across all the hospitals and health-related facilities across Australia, the figures and the associated risks are considerable.

In response to the need to reduce the occurrence of needle-stick injuries, Sandoz has developed a range of injectable products available with bottle or vial hangers. These innovative products have three major advantages for hospitals and healthcare workers:

Reduced handling of needles leads to less risk of injury

By removing steps in the production process, e.g. removing the need to draw the solution from the vial and then inject it into the infusion bag, Sandoz has reduced the handling of needles and therefore minimised the risk of needle-stick injuries. This new process also reduces the opportunity for administrative errors.

Reduced preparation time means more efficient use of time

The elimination of these steps means that the pre-injection preparation time is also reduced, leading to more efficient healthcare work practices.

The need for infusion bags is eliminated, reducing costs

As infusion bags are no longer required, waste and materials are also minimised. This provides a cost-effective solution as the processes and costs associated with waste removal and disposal are also reduced.

Industry award-winning packaging

Safety and ease of use are the primary considerations for Sandoz packaging which has a number of features which are beneficial for both pharmacists and patients. This is because it is designed by pharmacists, for pharmacists, to achieve best practice and ease of use in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, as well as patient compliance.

For example, the product name and strength are shown prominently and repeatedly on all panels to avoid dispensing errors.

The naming of the product is consistent with how prescriptions are written by doctors in private practices, community health centres and in hospitals.

In fact, Sandoz packaging has won the Australian Journal of Pharmacy PDL (Pharmaceutical Defence Ltd) Ethical Packaging and Labelling Awards in both 2008 and 2010.

Improving healthcare worker safety

Sandoz maintains a constant dialogue with customers – including patients, doctors and pharmacists – to ensure that it develops products that meet their specific needs.

It considers not only who needs the product but also how it will be administered or used. The focus is on safe, innovative and userfriendly presentations that are well received by medical professionals.

Innovative Sandoz products include the development of packaging designed by ‘pharmacists for pharmacists’ which helps reduce human error and simplify the drug’s administration process for busy doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff in hospital.

Enhancing patient understanding and safety

For patients, Sandoz clear labelling and explanations help them to understand the use, benefits and dosage of their medication.

A Therapeutic Class Graphic on the packaging makes it easy for a patient to identify what sort of medication they are taking and why their doctor has prescribed it for them.

It may also help the patient to remember the pharmacist’s instructions in a situation where they may be taking multiple medications or where there may be language barriers.

For more information on the Sandoz product range contact hospital. division@sandoz.com or call 1800 SANDOZ.