A reconstituted vial is punctured again and again, and every puncture can bring germs in. Grey-market vials are sold as sterile but are rarely tested. Two separate contaminants matter:
- Live bacteria multiply in the solution and spoil it.
- Endotoxins, fragments of dead bacteria, survive alcohol pads and filters. Only a lab test on the batch rules them out.
Workspace
- Work on a clean, wiped surface.
- Wash your hands first.
Stopper
- Remove the plastic flip cap. It is a dust cover, not a sterile seal.
- Wipe the rubber stopper with a 70 % isopropyl alcohol pad before every puncture, including the first.
- Let it dry for about 30 seconds. Alcohol disinfects while it evaporates, and a wet stopper pushes alcohol into the vial.
Syringes and needles
- Use a new sterile syringe for every draw.
- Never reuse or share a syringe.
- Never touch the needle or the stopper with your fingers.
- If the needle touches anything other than the swabbed stopper, discard it.
Inspect the vial before each use
- A reconstituted peptide should be clear.
- Cloudiness, flakes, floating particles, a film on the glass or a change in colour: discard it, however expensive it was.
- The same applies to a vial that was dropped, cracked or left out of the fridge for days.
Part of the Grey Market Survival Guide, chapter 5.1. Questions, corrections and additions welcome below.