In This Section
Is changing a needle on a unit dose syringe exempt from USP <797>?
Yes.
Changing a needle on a unit dose syringe is considered administration, so USP does not apply. It should be noted, however, that changing the needle will expose the critical sites (i.e., syringe tip and needle hub) to nonsterile air and thus increase the risk of contamination. Care must be taken to avoid touch contamination. In the spirit of USP <797> regarding critical site exposure to nonsterile air, the syringe contents should be administered within 1 hour of this needle change.