Simplist® Ready-to-Administer Syringes Help Support Medication Safety — and More

To most patients, a syringe is just a syringe. But for clinicians, the difference between traditional and ready-to-administer (RTA) syringes—like Fresenius Kabi’s Simplist® line—can mean the difference between preventable medication preparation errors, streamlined workflows, and unnecessary waste.

Traditional syringe preparation typically involves multiple steps: drawing medication from a vial, diluting, and verifying the dose. Each manual step increases the risk of contamination or dosing error and adds time, complexity, and cognitive burden to an already fast-paced workflow. The process can also lead to costly medication waste and introduce opportunities for narcotic diversion.

RTA syringes simplify that process. “Ready to administer” means exactly that—no preparation required. These manufacturer-prepared syringes are fully labeled and barcoded, and ready for immediate use at the point of care. As a result, RTA syringes represent a meaningful shift in how hospitals approach injectable medication safety, efficiency, and standardization.

Nurse using Simplist RTA syringe
Designed for efficient medication delivery and ease of use, Simplist helps reduce waste potential and eliminates steps where errors can occur. 1,2

Reducing Medication Errors

Medication safety is a core priority in every hospital, yet injectable medication errors remain a persistent and costly challenge, contributing to an estimated 1 million hospitalizations each year and costing the U.S. health care system $2.7 billion annually.3

A study comparing traditional and Simplist RTA syringes found that Simplist was associated with an error rate four times lower than traditional methods, including cartridge-based syringe systems.4 (Study limitations include that Simplist was the only RTA delivery system used in the study, and the study included only a select number of sites (3) and steps observed.)

“The study highlights how the Simplist RTA syringes we manufacture are making a direct impact on medication safety,” said Marilin Wong, Director, Integrated Pharmacy Solutions.

The importance of RTA systems is widely recognized. Leading organizations—including The Joint Commission, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF)—all recommend RTA medication systems as a best practice.5,6,11,7

Today, nearly all Simplist prefilled syringes are formulated, filled, and packaged in Fresenius Kabi’s FDA-registered manufacturing facility in Wilson, North Carolina. Unlike compounded drugs, which are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness, manufacturer made RTA syringes are manufactured under rigorous FDA oversight and quality standards and arrive fully prepared for use, with no additional steps required.*

These endorsements underscore why RTA systems are increasingly viewed as a cornerstone of modern medication safety.

Minimizing Waste and Preventing Diversion

As healthcare costs continue to rise, hospitals must use both staff time and medications efficiently.8 Yet traditional practice often leads to wasted medication—and wasted workforce hours.

One key issue is packaging. Controlled substances are typically supplied in vials larger than most doses require. For example, a common narcotic may come in a 100-microgram (mcg) vial, even though typical starting doses are 25 to 50 mcg.⁹ The remaining medication must be discarded.

Each time a vial is only partially used, nurses must document the waste, obtain a witness, validate the disposal, and place the leftover drug into a controlled-substance receptacle. This process not only consumes time but also adds cost, increases documentation burden, and creates potential risks for diversion.

Simplist offers a straightforward solution by optimizing syringe sizes to match common dosing needs, reducing medication waste—and hospitals can save an estimated $2.40 per narcotic dose in medication and labor costs.⁸

Still, many hospitals underestimate the scope of medication waste. To help address that, Fresenius Kabi developed its Medication Waste Analysis Program in 2022, expanded it in 2025, and continues to support hospitals today. This initiative partners directly with hospitals to analyze opioid purchasing and utilization, quantify controlled-substance waste, and support transitions to the lowest-dose presentations aligned with patient care.

So far, the service has helped hospitals identify more than 1.8 million waste transactions, Wong said.

“Hospital leaders are often surprised by the volume of controlled substance waste their facilities generate,” she explained. “Our analysis helps them reduce costs, improve operational efficiency, and limit diversion risks—while supporting safer medication practices.”

According to ASHP, diversion of medical waste creates “serious patient safety issues, harm to the diverter, and significant liability risk to the organization.”¹⁰

By aligning with opioid stewardship goals, conserving raw materials amid chronic shortages, and providing optimal syringe sizes to match common dosing, Fresenius Kabi is helping hospitals act today for a safer tomorrow.

“Drug diversion is a significant pain point for hospitals, and we help them take a proactive approach by limiting risks,” Wong said. “This proactive approach highlights Fresenius Kabi’s commitment to collaborating with hospitals to address critical challenges.”

Delivering Value in Practice

Simplist’s value is demonstrated by its successful implementation at Baptist Health, a health system based in Louisville, Kentucky. By adopting Simplist RTA syringes, Baptist Health optimized clinical workflows for commonly used narcotics and achieved its goals of reducing waste and minimizing the time nurses spend counting and disposing of controlled substances.

“I would much rather nurses be hands-on with patients than doing accounting and bookkeeping with narcotics,” said Mike Northcraft, Director of Nursing, Baptist Health Floyd. The Simplist prefilled syringes “have taken a lot of the paperwork burden away, and that gives nurses minutes back so they can do what they got into the profession for, and that’s the direct hands-on patient care.”

A Simpler, Safer Future for Medication Delivery
From reducing errors to limiting waste and diversion, Simplist RTA syringes help hospitals enhance medication safety, help reduce waste, and help improve operational efficiency.

As hospitals face mounting pressures—from rising costs to workforce challenges to the ongoing opioid crisis—embracing RTA syringes isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about reimagining care delivery for a safer, more sustainable future.

Fresenius Kabi is proud to partner with clinicians in that mission—one ready-to-administer dose at a time.

Simplist RTA syringe

*Medications that are administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously require a needle to be attached to the syringe.

References:

  1. Fanikos J, Burger M, Canada T. An Assessment of Currently Available IV Push Medication Delivery Systems. Am J Health Syst. Pharm. 2017;74(9):e230-e235.
  2. Hertig J, Jarrell K, Arora P, et al. A continuous observation workflow time study to assess intravenous push waste. Hosp Pharm. 2021;56(5):584‑591. doi:10.1177/001857672093175.
  3. Lahue BJ, Pyenson B, Iwasaki K, Blumen HE, Forray S, Rothschild JM. National Burden of Preventable Adverse Drug Events Associated with Inpatient Injectable Medications: Healthcare and Medical Professional Liability Costs. Am Health Drug Benefits. 2012 Nov;5(7):1-10. PMID: 24991335; PMCID: PMC4031698.
  4. Hertig, John B. PharmD, MS, CPPS*; Degnan, Daniel D. PharmD, MS, CPPS, CPHQ*; Scott, Catherine R. CPHQ*; Lenz, Janelle R. PharmD*; Li Xiaochun PhD, MSc; Anderson, Chelsea M. PharmD, MBA, BCPS* A Comparison of Error Rates Between Intravenous Push Methods: A Prospective, Multisite, Observational Study; Journal of Patient Safety: March 2018 – Volume 14 – Issue 1 – p 60-65 doi: 10.1097/PTS.0000000000000419.
  5. 2022 Comprehensive Accreditation Manual (CAMH) for Hospitals. Standard MM 03.01.03. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission Resources. CAMH (PDF manual), Jan. 2022.
  6. ASHP Guidelines: Minimum Standard for Pharmacies in Hospitals (2013). American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy; 70(18), 1619-1630. Doi:10.2146/sp130001.
  7. Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation. (2019). Recommendations of the Four Work Groups at the 2018 APSF Stoelting Conference on Medication Safety – Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation [Accessed Jan. 2022].
  8. Hertig J, Jarrell K, Arora P, et al. A Continuous Observation Workflow Time Study to Assess Intravenous Push Waste. Hosp Pharm. 2021; 56(5):584-591. doi:10.1177/001857672093175.
  9. Farley, Matthew (Fresenius Kabi), An Informatics Approach to Preventing Diversion of Controlled Substances, Pharmacy Times, June 3, 2024.
  10. ASHP Guidelines on Preventing Diversion of Controlled Substances. 2022. Accessed May 30, 2024.
  11. Institute for Safe Medicine Practices. Safe Practice Guidelines for Adult IV Push Medications. Accessed June 23, 2022.