Capsule Holder For Safe and Efficient Liquid Medication Extraction in Pharmacy Setting

Brief Description

Extraction of liquid medication from a prefabricated pill capsule is necessary in instances when physical swallowing is not possible. Herein is presented a novel device that allows a pharmacy technician to stabilize a capsule and safely remove and isolate the contained liquid medication.  This method safely provides a drug that can be administered by means that do not require swallowing, such as via feeding tube.

Full Description

Liquid nimodipine is a crucial, universally used medication to treat hemorrhagic stroke. Inherent to that condition, patients are often unable to swallow medication. This drug, however, is purchased by hospitals almost exclusively in capsule form, necessitating the manual extraction of the liquid medication from the capsule by pharmacy technicians using a scalpel and syringe, followed by administration to the patient via feeding tube. Due to the oily consistency of the liquid and tough capsule coating, this manual extraction can cause a loss of medication (approximately 20-30% medication lost per dose depending on technician expertise). Additionally, the extraction process poses dangers for the technician as they handle the capsule with one hand and the syringe or scalpel with the other.

To address this issue, UCI personnel have developed a device that provides a stable support for the capsule so that the technician may safely extract medications, such as nimodipine, and also is designed to be easily washed and sterilized.

Suggested uses

1. Safety and efficacy in the procedure of extracting encapsulated liquid nimodipine

2. Could be used for other liquid medication capsules

Advantages

1. Addresses a widely experienced problem in the treatment of hemorrhagic stroke

2. Increases safety for pharmacy technicians

3. The device is designed to be easy to both use and clean

Patent Status

Patent Pending

State Of Development

Prototype developed and has been used successfully

Working towards adopting for regular use at UCI Medical Center.