Syringes must be sterile prior to administration of a drug. To ensure that, prefilled syringes in hospital settings are typically stored and transported individually in blister packs. However, that takes up a lot of space and produces large amounts of waste. In Canada, Sterinova is now pursuing a different approach—using Needle-Trap Secu with integrated first-opening indication from Schreiner MediPharm: That’s equally safe but reduces space, waste, and costs.

Sterinova, a Canadian subsidiary of medical technology company B. Braun, specializes in ready-to-use injectable drugs. Since 2016 the company based in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, has been successfully using Needle-Trap for its prefilled heparin syringes as an efficient and compact solution for protection against needlestick injuries in the Canadian market. Needle-Trap from Schreiner MediPharm is the only needle protection system worldwide featuring a label-integrated needle trap. That saves resources and requires less space than conventional needle protection systems while its use is easy and safe for healthcare staff.

For even greater space savings and waste reduction, Sterinova is now using a new Needle-Trap variant with first-opening indication: Needle-Trap Secu features an integrated seal tab securing the integrity of the prefilled syringe up until the drug is administered. The seal is automatically activated when the syringe cap is being pulled off and irreversibly indicates its first opening. That eliminates the need for an additional blister pack. In addition, special security elements prevent undetected reuse of the seal.

Sterinova benefits from a multi-functional solution combining product protection and protection of healthcare staff against needlestick injuries. Hospitals benefit from the fact that, thanks to the Needle-Trap label-integrated sealing feature, the syringes don’t require blister packs and the space savings reduce costs and waste. In Sterinova’s case, for instance, waste reductions of 46 percent compared to the use of conventional blister packs are possible. Plus, the environment benefits particularly as well: Because the compact Needle-Trap solution requires far less space CO₂ emissions clearly decrease. In addition, the label-integrated needle trap has a regranulated material content of up to 50 percent.