Withdrawing Medication from a Vial

Medical Equipments:

• Medication administration record (MAR)
• Sterile syringes and needle
• Alcohol swab
• Medication vial
• Sterile needle

Nursing Procedures:

1. Wash your hands
2. Prepare the vial
3. Open the alcohol swab
4. For new vial: remove metal cap from vial and cleanse the rubber top of vial
5. For used vial: cleanse the rubber top of the vial
6. Choose a syringe of appropriate size
7. Grasp needle and turn barrel of syringe to the right
8. Remove the needle cap and pull back on plunger to fill syringes with an amount of air as much as the amount of solution to be withdrawn from the vial
9. Insert the needle into the center of the upright vial and inject air into the vial
10. Invert the vial and keep it at the eye level and the needle's bevel below the fluid level, and remove the exact amount of medication while touching only the syringe barrel and plunger tip SEE PICTURE
11. Remove air from the syringe while needle remains within the inverted vial by tapping the syringe side by your finger
12. Check the amount of medication in the syringe
13. Turn vial upright and remove the needle
14. Replace the needle cap and replace with new needle. Remove used needle and dispose it in the sharps container
15. Attaché the new needle to the syringe by turning the barrel to the right
16. Compare the medication in the syringes with the prescribed dosage