A syringe is administered by pushing a plunger inside the syringe's tube, forcing the liquid inside to come out though a needle, nozzle or tubing. Syringes can be made of plastic or glass and have markings on them for measurement. These markings may vary, depending on what the syringe used for.

Syringes are often used in medical procedures to inject drugs into tissue, administer vaccines and take blood samples. Plastic syringes are the most common for this, although glass is sometimes used. Syringes are also used by people with diabetes to administer insulin. Before stocking or purchasing syringes, consider the following:

1. Glass syringes can be sterilized in an autoclave, allowing them to be reused. Plastic syringes must be thrown away after each use.

2. Reusing syringes can result in the transmission of diseases like HIV and aids. The risk from multiple uses can be decreased if the syringe is used on only one person, or sterilized after each use.

3. The sale of hypodermic syringes is limited or prohibited in certain areas due to their relation to illegal drug use. You may need a license or permit to buy syringes, depending on where you purchase them.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase disposable syringes for medical procedures

Typically, disposable syringes are used for blood samples and medical injections. These syringes are usually plastic with a rubber piston, and they're disposed of after a single use. This reduces the risk of spreading diseases and eliminates the need for cleaning each syringe. There are several types of disposable syringes available, including enema syringes, piston enema syringes and hypodermic syringes.

I recommend: Buy disposable syringes from the Lab Depot or Sigma-Aldrich.

Buy insulin syringes for diabetic patients

Insulin syringes generally have smaller, finer needles because the injection takes place under the skin. An insulin syringe is also usually marked with measurements in insulin units to make self-administration easier. It is often possible to reuse insulin syringes on patients if the syringe is used only on one person. Nursing homes, hospitals and clinics often stock this type of syringe to administer insulin, and for patient emergencies.

I recommend: Get diabetic syringes from the DiabetesStore.com or Mini Pharmacy & Medical Supplies.

Get prefilled syringes for standard-dose medicines

Prefilled syringes are used in field trials and hospitals to reduce the risk of misidentification, contamination and dosing errors. In general, they require less preparation and are easy to dispose of. This results in lower injection costs for health care providers. Prefilled syringes are also used by pharmaceutical companies to eliminate container overfill and to administer vaccines.

I recommend: Purchase prefilled syringes from BD, or purchase vaccines in prefilled syringes from eGeneralMedical.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Most prefilled syringes and some products like diabetic syringes require a doctor or health care company to order them. You may need to provide contact information and identification information before you can purchase syringes.