[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Medications and dose calculation](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/medication/) › Preparing parenteral medication: ampoules, vials and reconstitution # Preparing parenteral medication: ampoules, vials and reconstitution - Procedure How to draw up a drug from a glass ampoule or a vial with aseptic technique, and how to reconstitute a powder. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - A new needle and syringe for every patient; never use the same syringe for two patients, even with a new needle. - Ampoule: snap the neck away from your hands, draw up with a filter needle and change the needle before injecting. - Vial: scrub the stopper, inject air equal to the dose and draw up with the vial upside down. - Single-dose vial: one patient, one time; multidose vial: dedicate it to one patient when possible and label the date it was opened. - Reconstitution: only the diluent and the volume the label states; the volume sets the final concentration. - Do not recap with two hands; use the one-handed scoop technique or a safety device. ## What it is Injectable drugs come in glass ampoules (broken at the neck and used once), in rubber-stoppered vials (single-dose or multidose) or as a powder that must be reconstituted with a diluent. Preparation is done with aseptic technique, in a clean area, with a new needle and syringe for each patient. Ampoules are drawn up with a filter needle so no glass is drawn in; air is injected into vials to equalise the pressure. Whatever is left in an ampoule or a single-dose vial is discarded. ## Indications - IM, SC, ID or IV drugs supplied in an ampoule, a vial or as a powder. - Mixing two compatible drugs in one syringe when the order and the reference allow it. - Mixing two compatible insulins (the clear one is drawn up first). ## Contraindications and precautions - Expired or unlabelled medication: do not use it. - Leftover from an ampoule or a single-dose vial is not saved or pooled: discard it. - Never leave a needle in a vial stopper for repeated use. - Prepare close to the time of administration, in a clean area away from sinks. ## Equipment - Medical order and medication. - Syringes and needles of the right size; a filter needle for ampoules. - Alcohol swabs and gauze. - The stated sterile diluent (sterile water or saline) if reconstitution is needed. - Sharps container, labels and gloves per protocol. ## Step by step (and why) - Clean your hands and prepare in a clean area — aseptic technique starts before the drug is opened. - Compare the label with the order and check expiry and appearance — prevents errors and contamination. - Ampoule: tap the liquid down, wrap the neck in gauze and snap it away from your hands — protects against cuts and glass. - Draw up from the ampoule with a filter needle, then change it — the filter holds back glass particles. - Vial: scrub the stopper, inject air equal to the dose and draw up with the vial inverted — equal pressure makes drawing up easier. - Powder: add the diluent type and volume stated on the label — the volume sets the final concentration. - Remove air bubbles and check the volume at eye level — air changes the measured dose. - Label the syringe if it is not given at once and discard the rest per protocol — prevents mix-ups and reuse. ## Complications - Glass particles in the syringe if no filter needle is used. - Contamination of the drug from a break in aseptic technique. - Precipitates when incompatible drugs are mixed. - Needlestick injury when recapping. - Wrong dose from air bubbles or reconstitution with the wrong volume. ## Next step: when to call for help - Needlestick or cut during preparation: report it at once per the occupational-exposure protocol. - Doubt about the diluent, compatibility or stability: ask the pharmacist before preparing. - Expired or unlabelled medication: do not use it and tell pharmacy. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Why is a filter needle used to draw up from an ampoule? So glass particles released when it is broken are not drawn up; it is then changed for the administration needle. ## Why is air injected into a vial before drawing up the drug? To equalise the pressure inside the vial so the volume can be drawn up easily. ## What must be written on a multidose vial when it is opened? The date it was opened; it is discarded within 28 days, or as the manufacturer states, and never after its expiry date. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/preparing-parenteral-medication-ampoules-vials-and-reconstitution/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Clean and sterile technique: medical and surgical asepsis](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/clean-and-sterile-technique-medical-and-surgical-asepsis/) - [Intramuscular injection: sites and technique](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/intramuscular-injection-sites-and-technique/) - [Subcutaneous injection](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/subcutaneous-injection/) - [Giving IV medications: bolus and intermittent infusion](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/giving-iv-medications-bolus-and-intermittent-infusion/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Nursing Skills (Open RN), 18.2 Basic Concepts (Administration of Parenteral Medications)](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/18%3A_Administration_of_Parenteral_Medications/18.02%3A_Basic_Concepts) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022); [Nursing Skills (Open RN), 18.8 Checklists for Parenteral Medication Administration](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/18%3A_Administration_of_Parenteral_Medications/18.08%3A_Checklists_for_Parenteral_Medication_Administration) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022); [Nursing Skills (Open RN), 5.10 Reconstituted Medication](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/05%3A_Math_Calculations/5.10%3A_Reconstituted_Medication) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022); [Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices](https://www.cdc.gov/injection-safety/hcp/clinical-safety/index.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/preparing-parenteral-medication-ampoules-vials-and-reconstitution/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/preparing-parenteral-medication-ampoules-vials-and-reconstitution/