Analysis of ready-to-administer medications versus conventional preparation in a simulation setting.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the time efficiency, waste generation and nursing experience associated with ready-to-administer (RTA) intravenous (IV) medications compared with conventional ampoule-based preparation in a simulated environment.

METHODS

An observational time and motion study was conducted in a simulated NHS environment with 50 registered nurses. Participants completed eight preparation tasks across RTA and conventional methods at varying complexity levels. Waste was quantified, and qualitative data were collected via structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

RTA Ecoflac® plus infusions reduced preparation time by 50-62% (mean 82 s versus 163-214 s; P<0.05) and required 63-70% fewer components. RTA syringe preparation achieved 6-25% time savings. Nurses rated pre-prepared products as significantly easier to use (82%), time saving (92%), and associated with lower contamination risk (96%).

CONCLUSION

RTA IV medications offer consistent efficiency, safety and environmental benefits over conventional preparation, with advantages scaling with preparation complexity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Adoption of RTA formulations could free meaningful nursing capacity for direct patient care, reduce medication errors and support sustainability objectives in clinical practice.