Local product launch: Protective admixture tools
Every year, billions of steel needles that are sold in the healthcare market are not used on patients, but were instead used on a variety of drug admixture procedures. Drug Admixture, or more commonly known as “drug reconstitution” in the Philippines, is the “preparation of pharmaceutical product which requires the measured addition of a medication to a bag or bottle of IV fluid.” This process usually involves drug dilution, which is necessary to adjust the drug’s properties (i.e. tonicity, osmolarity, pH level) to that of the human blood.
Currently, every admixture procedure done on a ward or in a pharmacy can be done with a steel needle; in fact, according to a recent survey conducted by B. Braun of key hospitals in the Philippines, 83% of drug reconstitution procedures are still done with a hollow bore needle. Drug reconstitution is an irreplaceable part of infusion therapy, and there is a strong need to improve traditional practice to circumvent the risks associated with it. These risks include microbiological contamination, drug exposure, and needlestick injuries—all of which healthcare workers have seemingly accepted as daily risks of drug reconstitution.
For a safer and more convenient everyday practice, B. Braun introduces protective admixture tools (PAT) to the Philippine market. Globally, B. Braun offers a numerous variety of protective admixture tools; but upon analysis of the local market, the decision was to launch two key PAT products as a way of initially penetrating the market: the Ecoflac Connect and the Mini-Spike 2. These needle-free medical products make it possible to admix or reconstitute IV drugs without using hollow-bore needles, and improve safety and convenience of the aseptic technique by providing protection against risks and reducing complexity of handling procedures.
Admittedly, it may be a challenge to completely replace hollow bore needles in drug admixture, but as the need for safe and hygienic procedures increase, so will the percentage of needleless admixture increase—hence the growth of this potential market which B. Braun intends to capture in its effort of improving the quality of infusion care practices in the country, and consequently improving the health of individuals worldwide.