Kitty Paws
Explorer
Every Hospira vial I've gotten before this one had a little QR code printed on the cap. This one doesn't. Is it still safe to use, or should I be worried?
Hospira arrived without a QR code on the cap — is it legit?
- Thread starter Kitty Paws
- Start date
Which source did you get it from?
Is a LOT number printed on it?
Is there an expiration date on it?
On the bottle to the left, I can make out the NDC number. Does the bottle on the right also show an NDC number?
If any of those are missing, I would throw it away. When possible, request your money back and explain the concern you have about how the two bottles differ
Is a LOT number printed on it?
Is there an expiration date on it?
On the bottle to the left, I can make out the NDC number. Does the bottle on the right also show an NDC number?
If any of those are missing, I would throw it away. When possible, request your money back and explain the concern you have about how the two bottles differ
I'm fairly convinced this is counterfeit. There's a guide on identifying counterfeit Hospira here: https://ausaminos.com/blog/fake-hospira-bac-guide/
Kitty Paws
Explorer
The vial on the right is the one that arrived. Expiration, LOT, and NDC are all present on it — the only thing missing is that QR thing on the cap. This is my first hospira purchase that didn't have the QR code on the cap, which struck me as strange. Aside from that, everything else lines up.
Troposphere
Explorer
Guide to spot fake Hospira
Contained in this pdf are several distinguishing traits of genuine Hospira, which are useful for identifying counterfeits. Using this guide, I discovered two fakes among my own supply. I'm holding onto them purely so I have something to compare against later.
Contained in this pdf are several distinguishing traits of genuine Hospira, which are useful for identifying counterfeits. Using this guide, I discovered two fakes among my own supply. I'm holding onto them purely so I have something to compare against later.
Kitty Paws
Explorer
Appreciate it. That checks out as authentic.
BNLFL
Explorer
Looks like I'm back in panic mode 101.
BNLFL
Explorer
Which vendor did you get it from?
The case I received from Amsco Medical Supply and Injection shop carries that square QR code, and the Hospira Saline I have does too.
Somewhere, I believe I came across something stating that Hospira turned out a single large batch without any QR code. Should I track down that article, I'll pass it along.
It's possible this could be Gentek BAC packaged in a 30 ML bottle. While waiting on my EBAC to show up, I've been running Genetec and the results have been excellent
It's possible this could be Gentek BAC packaged in a 30 ML bottle. While waiting on my EBAC to show up, I've been running Genetec and the results have been excellent
BNLFL
Explorer
A friend handed me 5 vials, each 10ml, of Genetek.
I've got a few bottles of Hospria on hand. Someone gave me some Genetek BAC in 10 ML ampules. Since it's basically a single-use kind of product, I decided to test it out. So far it appears to be working okay, but the peps I'm running it with, like my ARA/KPV, are dosed daily, so it never really sits around for long. I got in on a group buy of Ebac 25 x 30ml bottles at $125 a case. Everything is going through full testing beforehand. So I figure it's worth trying instead of shelling out big money for Hospira
kakiebean
Explorer
I'm pretty sure I'm done buying Hospira. The plastic bottle is a real turn-off for me.
@Calm Logic previously pointed out that this is a plastic with a special patent behind it:
For its semi-rigid plastic vials of Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP, Hospira (which is a Pfizer company) relies on one particular polyolefin material. [1, 2]
1. The Sealed Expiry (18 to 24 Months)
- Chemical Integrity: On its own, the polyolefin plastic is very stable and will not break down when kept under ordinary conditions. What the printed expiration date actually represents is the estimated point at which the 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative or the pH balance (5.7) could start shifting beyond the strict FDA/USP tolerances. [1, 2, 3]
- Environmental Degradation: Should the vial be subjected to continuous heat above 30°C (86°F) or direct ultraviolet (UV) light, it may give out early, since both of those speed up chemical oxidation and the breakdown of the benzyl alcohol preservative. [1, 2]
Material & Container Specs
- Material Composition: A specially formulated polyolefin copolymer of ethylene and propylene is what the semi-rigid vial is made from. [1]
- Safety & Standards: For plastic containers, this plastic satisfies the USP biological reactivity tests. [1]
- Preservative & Formulation: Water for injection is combined with 0.9% (9 mg/mL) or 1.1% (11 mg/mL) benzyl alcohol as a bacteriostatic preservative (pH 5.7, range 4.5 to 7.0). [1, 2]
- No Vapor Barrier: To keep the proper labeled volume throughout shelf life, the container design needs no secondary vapor barrier. [1]
Patent & Technology Context
- Across their medical fluid and container portfolios, Hospira (and its parent company Pfizer) rely on non-PVC, flexible and semi-rigid polyolefin material systems (for example VisIV™ container technology and related multi-layer or single-layer polyolefin film/vial designs). [1, 2, 3]
- Patents assigned to Hospira for specific containers and medical fluid packaging protect non-PVC, non-DEHP polyolefin formulations built for thermal sterilization (autoclaving) and low moisture vapor transmission rates (e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. covering polyolefin medical fluid containers like US7527619B2 and US8136330B2)
YoYoFat
Explorer
I go back to the days when MedEx sold a case of Hospira for $99. I still have a few other bottles that came from PT a long time ago. They are genuine Hospira, and not one of them has a QR code.
Every bottle I have is either past its expiry or nearly there. I keep them somewhere cool and dark. Chemical stability and sterility hadn't been on my mind, but the plastic was beginning to make me wonder… so thanks for this!