| Property | Bacteriostatic Water | Sterile Water |
|---|---|---|
| Contains | 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative | No preservative |
| After first entry | Discard within 28 days (CDC, USP <797>) | Single use; unused portion discarded (label) |
| Vial entered more than once | Yes, what it is made for | No |
| Suppresses microbial growth | Yes | No |
| Labelled for | Multiple-dose use | Single-dose use |
Faq · Solvents
Bacteriostatic Water vs Sterile Water
The solvent used to reconstitute a peptide decides how long a re-entered vial stays protected against contamination. Bacteriostatic water is made for multiple-dose use; sterile water for injection is labelled for single use.
Quick Comparison
The Verdict
Our partner and supplier Primara Labs lists bacteriostatic water 3ml at PHP 270. Buy bacteriostatic water in the Philippines
What NOT to Use
Registration first
Where to Source BAC Water in PH
Bacteriostatic water for injection is a pharmaceutical product. Under RA 9711 a drug must be registered with FDA Philippines before it is imported, sold or distributed; the regulation hub covers the law. The FDA Verification Portal at verification.fda.gov.ph shows which bacteriostatic and sterile water products are registered.
- FDA-licensed pharmacies: under RA 10918, pharmaceutical products may be sold to the public only through an FDA-licensed retail drug outlet
- Primara Labs, our partner and supplier, which lists bacteriostatic water alongside its research vials
Reconstitution is sterile work
Risks & disclaimer
FAQ
Bacteriostatic water or sterile water for reconstituting peptides?
Bacteriostatic water for injection contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol, a preservative that suppresses microbial growth in a vial that is entered more than once. CDC guidance and USP General Chapter 797 set 28 days after first entry as the default discard date for an opened multiple-dose vial. Sterile water for injection has no preservative and is labelled for single use, with the unused portion discarded. For a vial that will be entered more than once, bacteriostatic water is the solvent designed for it.
Where can bacteriostatic water be sourced in the Philippines?
Bacteriostatic water for injection is a pharmaceutical product. Under RA 9711 a drug must be registered with FDA Philippines before it is imported, sold or distributed, and the FDA Verification Portal at verification.fda.gov.ph shows which solvent products are registered. Under RA 10918, pharmaceutical products may be sold to the public only through an FDA-licensed retail drug outlet. Primara Labs, our partner and supplier, lists bacteriostatic water alongside its research vials.
CDC, USP, FDA
Sources
- SRC-01US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Injection Safety: Questions about multi-dose vials (cdc.gov), and United States Pharmacopeia General Chapter <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding: Sterile Preparations: 28 days after first entry as the default discard date for an opened multiple-dose vial unless the manufacturer states otherwise.
- SRC-02US Food and Drug Administration, 1982 warning on benzyl alcohol-preserved solutions in neonates (“gasping syndrome”). fda.gov
- SRC-03Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP, and Sterile Water for Injection, USP, product labelling (DailyMed, dailymed.nlm.nih.gov): 0.9% benzyl alcohol in the bacteriostatic product; no preservative and single-dose use for sterile water.
- SRC-04FDA Philippines Verification Portal. verification.fda.gov.ph: the register for which sterile and bacteriostatic water products are registered in the Philippines.