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Administration sets are delivery tools for the direct application of drugs into the body and are composed of a spike, a drip chamber, tubes, Luer adapters (connectors), a needle cover for protection, and other accessories. Drug sorption to tubes of administration sets is a critical issue in terms of safety and efficacy. Although drug sorption is an important factor in the quality of an administration set, there are no standard evaluation methods for the regulation of drug sorption to the tubes. Here, we describe an evaluation protocol for drug sorption to tubes of administration sets. Tubes made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)- and non-PVC-based polymeric materials were cut to 1 m in length. Diazepam and tacrolimus were used as model drugs. In the kinetic sorption study, we selected the drug concentration and flow rate based on the clinical usage of these drugs. After the dilution of each drug in a glass bottle, the diluted drug solution was delivered through tubes of administration sets using a pump. Samples were collected in amber vials at appropriate time points and the drugs were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Drug concentrations and sorption levels to tubes of the administration sets were calculated. Acceptable criteria to ensure the quality of administration sets are recommended.

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PVC (polyvinyl chloride) intravenous fluid bags and tubes that contain DEHP (diethylhexyl phthalate) as a plasticizer have several associated disadvantages for intravenous injections. We investigated the drug absorption behaviors on the inner surface of an infusion tube that consisted of commercialized PVC/PU (polyurethane). We developed a non-PVC (polyolefin) tube in order to improve the efficacy of this drug administration method. We prepared four types of non-PVC (polyolefin) infusion tubes using a polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene (PB), and styrene-ethylene (SE) copolymer elastomers were prepared using a single screw extruder. The four types of manufactured non-PVC (polyolefin) infusion tubes had good mechanical properties that were equivalent to PVC tube properties. The four types of prepared non-PVC (polyolefin) infusion tubes also prohibited drug absorption when compared to the commercialized PVC and PU tubes. Therefore, based on the results of this study, prepared non-PVC (polyolefin) tubes are good candidates for infusion because they prevent drug absorption and the release of DEHP.

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