health care professionals to misuse SINGLE-dose vials

Drug shortages can tempt health care professionals to misuse SINGLE-dose vials to prevent waste.

But inappropriate reuse of single-dose vials leads to contamination and infection...since there's no preservative.

The rules are strict for using single-dose vials outside a sterile environment in the pharmacy. A single-dose vial should only be used for a SINGLE procedure or injection in a SINGLE patient.