What is it about?
This study looked at how much medication may be left behind in intravenous (IV) giving sets after an intermittent infusion has finished. When the giving set is not flushed, some of the medication remains in the tubing and is thrown away with the set. This means that the patient may not receive the full dose prescribed, while the hospital also loses medication and money. The study examined 163 used IV administration sets in a 23-bed intensive care unit. Of these, 129 were suitable for analysis. None had been flushed after the medication was administered. On average, approximately 20.8 ml of medication remained in each set.
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Why is it important?
The study found that between approximately 8% and 23% of some medications could remain undelivered, with some medicines costing more than £11 per wasted dose. This highlights an avoidable problem affecting patient care, medication optimisation and healthcare resources. Standardised guidance and consistent flushing practices could help reduce medication waste and ensure patients receive the full doses intended.
Perspectives
From a patient perspective, this is important because a medication can be recorded as having been administered even though the patient may not have received the complete prescribed dose. From a nursing and healthcare perspective, flushing the IV administration set is a simple practice that can help ensure the full dose reaches the patient. The study also highlights how a small amount of medication left in one giving set can become significant when this happens repeatedly.
EMMANUEL ENEBELI
University of Derby
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evaluating medication waste attributable to lack of proper flushing of intravenous administration sets, British Journal of Nursing, July 2026, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2025.0444.
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