BD Medical-Pharmaceutical Systems, in conjunction with Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunization (IAP-COI), conducted a Time and Motion Research across Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi and Kolkata to study the impact on vaccination efficiency and patient safety in India. The study, published in Pediatric Infectious Disease (PID) journal, was also presented in the open merit category at 51st national annual conference of Indian Academy of Pediatrics – Pedicon 2014 at Indore.
Considering the proportion of unsafe injection practices in India, an evaluation of the potential improvement in vaccination with prefilled syringe (PFS) compared to SDV and MDV (single and multi-dose vials) in Indian private market was the objective of the study. Vaccination in India still predominantly uses multi dose vials (MDVs), but prefilled syringe (PFS) reportedly offer many advantages over MDVs in terms of efficiency and safety, especially considering the many chances for errors and contamination that the use of MDVs creates in vaccination.
Dr SG Kasi, former IAPCOI Member, Bangalore and the principal investigator of this study said, “The PFS study is the first study done in India which demonstrates the superiority of the PFS over SDV and MDV in terms of time taken for vaccination, vaccinator productivity, vaccine wastage, waste generated and errors occurring during vaccination. Moreover, the PFS had the least scores in terms of errors with significant HHRE scores. Its publication in the PID journal and presentation in Pedicon 2014, has facilitated the dissemination of its findings to a wide audience. The advantages of the PFS have been acknowledged by the CDC, which now recommends it as the ‘preferred’ system of vaccine administration.”
The study was an observational, open label, randomised two-phase time and motion study involving comparison in terms of efficiency associated with the vaccine administration process (preparation, injection and disposal) and rate of handling errors with safety implications.
Murli Sundrani, Director – BD Medical- Pharmaceutical Systems – India said, “The Time And Motion study has confirmed the advantages of single-dose, ready-to-use devices like PFS as they offer benefits such as lesser injection time, lesser errors and much better productivity to patients, clinicians and public health. We are happy to collaborate with Indian Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Immunization (IAP-COI) to work on this study to be able to confirm that as compared with vials, PFS are risk reducers, as they reduce the occurrence of handling errors and associated health hazard risks.”
Results of the study: The mean time required to perform a vaccination with PFS was 47.6 ± 11.7 seconds and was twice as fast as with vials. The mean number of handling errors with PFS was 1.1 ± 1.7 and was 3 times lesser than with vials. (p<0.0001)
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