Time-motion study of intravenous ranitidine admixtures

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Compounding
• Drug Manufacturing
• Healthcare Economics

Background:

• Ranitidine admixtures are commonly prepared for patient administration.
• Evaluating different source vial types (unit-dose vs. multidose) is crucial for optimizing preparation processes.
• Cost-effectiveness and efficiency in pharmaceutical preparation are key concerns for healthcare providers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the total preparation time, cost, and contamination rates for 50-mL ranitidine 50 mg admixtures.
• To compare the efficiency of unit-dose vials versus multidose vials (10 mL and 40 mL) in admixture preparation.
• To assess the impact of extemporaneous compounding versus batch manufacturing on preparation efficiency and cost.

Main Methods:

• Three commercial ranitidine source vials were used: unit-dose, 10 mL multidose, and 40 mL multidose.
• Two preparation phases were conducted: extemporaneous compounding and batch manufacturing.
• Twelve technicians prepared ten 50-mL admixtures from each vial type during each phase; all admixtures were tested for sterility.

Main Results:

• No bacterial contamination was observed in any of the prepared admixtures.
• Multidose vials resulted in cost savings of approximately $197 per 200 admixtures.
• Batch manufacturing using 40 mL multidose vials demonstrated reduced drug and personnel costs compared to extemporaneous compounding with unit-dose vials.

Conclusions:

• Multidose vials decrease total preparation time and cost for ranitidine admixtures.
• The use of multidose vials streamlines both extemporaneous compounding and batch manufacturing processes.
• Efficiency gains are achieved through reduced setup time, preparation time, and drug procurement costs when using multidose vials.