Best Syringes and Needles for Compounding Pharmacies

Best Syringes and Needles for Compounding Pharmacies

There is a wide range of available syringes and needles on the market that allow compounding pharmacies to make their specialized medications. When it comes to choosing the right one that’s best suited for the application, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider:

  • Price
  • Sterile vs. unsterile
  • Glass vs. plastic
  • Needle gauge
  • Needle length
  • Low dead space

For example, many 3-part syringes contain trace amounts of silicone oil that act as a lubricant between the rubber plunger and the barrel. The rubber and silicone oil inside the syringe can potentially negatively affect the outcome of sterile compounding applications.

2-part syringes, on the other hand, do not contain a rubber plunger or silicone oil, making them ideal for compounding pharmaceutical applications.

At Air-Tite, we carry a wide range of needles, syringes, and sterile supplies appropriate for compounding pharmacies, which come in varying price points, sizes, and materials. Read on to learn more about the most commonly used syringes and needles for compounding pharmacies.

Low Dead Space (LDS) Needles

The average needle has a “dead space” at the tip when the plunger of the attached syringe is fully pushed down. It averages out to around 99µl of wasted product per syringe. The amount of product or drugs that you can save by using an LDS needle amounts to anywhere between 20 to 40 microliters per dose, or four to eight percent (assuming the dose is .5 milliliters).

TSK Low Dead Space Needles offer the potential for substantial savings of a very expensive product. It’s designed to reduce the overall leftover space to effectively zero.

These FDA-registered, CE Mark, and ISO 9001 certified needles feature a hard polymer hub that helps prevent flexing and pop-off coupled with external hub threading that reduces the risk of leaks.

 

2-Part Syringes

NORM-JECT and HENKE-JECT syringes are ideal for some compounding pharmaceutical applications as they contain no rubber, silicone oil, styrene, or DEHP, and are latex-free.

At Air-Tite, we sell a wide variety of syringes and needles in the compound pharmaceutical space. Our 2-part Luer Slip and 2-part Luer Lock syringes are manufactured from laboratory-grade polyethylene and polypropylene.

Some of our higher volume pharma customers also purchase significant quantities of 3mL syringes, 3mL syringes with needles (18g. 20g, 21g, 23g, and 25g), and needles by themselves (nearly every size). 10mL and 20mL syringes are also popular choices amongst compounding pharmacies.

Ophthalmic Compounding Pharmacy Applications

Gustavo B. Melo, MD, Ph.D., from Modern Retina, suggests that “the ideal syringe for administering intravitreal injections does not exist.” He goes on to say that “intravitreal injection can lead to the presence of silicone droplets in the vitreous. The droplets come from the syringes used for injection because most are manufactured with silicone oil to allow for better glide of the plunger.”

C. Júnior et al. performed a study that looked at the effects of syringe agitation and silicone oil release. They found that “Agitation of the syringe promotes the release of silicone oil. It is recommended to improve the technique of injection and the manufacture of specific syringes for ophthalmological use.”

Some of the more ideal characteristics of an ophthalmic syringe include:

  • Silicone oil-free
  • Uses an attachable needle rather than a fixed needle
  • Low dead space (for potential cost savings)
  • Luer-lock tip to prevent leakage

The 32g x 9mm TSK needle was designed explicitly for Wet AMD injections by an ophthalmologist. The 32g needles and 33g needles are both very popular for eye injections.

Other Needle and Syringe Considerations

The choice of needle and syringe depends on the specifics of your compounding pharmacy application. You may use everything from a 3mL syringe with an attached 18g x 1-½” needle to a 33g microneedle, and Air-Tite has you covered.

As with all applications, some can be sensitive to common ingredients of a 3-part or standard syringe. A 2-part syringe or a glass syringe will work best in these situations. There are also pre-fill syringes that may be appropriate at times.

Compounding Pharmacies Needles and Syringes

At Air-Tite, we have a vast selection and can pull from multiple manufacturers to fill almost every need. While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all syringe or needle for compounding pharmacies, we can procure—or in some cases manufacture—the right syringe for your compounding pharmaceutical application. Click below to view our products.

See Our Syringes

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