BD Plastipak Oral Syringe – 5ml
£0.99
Out of stock
Trusted by
50,000+ patients
Free Delivery on
Over £30
UK Registered
Pharmacy
Guaranteed safe checkout
What Is the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml Used For?
Accurate dosing of liquid medicines is critical for safe and effective treatment. Whether administering prescribed antibiotics to a young child, measuring a carefully titrated paediatric dose, or giving liquid medicines via an enteral feeding tube, the difference between the correct dose and a significantly over or under dose can determine whether treatment succeeds or causes harm. The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml is a purpose-designed, precision-graduated oral dosing syringe from BD — Becton, Dickinson and Company — one of the world's foremost medical device manufacturers, trusted in clinical and home care settings globally for decades.
The 5ml oral syringe provides accurate, reliable measurement of liquid medicine volumes from small fractions of a millilitre up to the full 5ml capacity, with clear graduated markings enabling precise reading of each dose. The graduated scale allows parents, carers, and patients to measure liquid medicines far more accurately than is possible with a household teaspoon — the traditional but unreliable alternative that can result in doses varying by up to 40% from the intended volume depending on the spoon used. Using an oral syringe eliminates this uncertainty, ensuring the intended dose is drawn up accurately and administered completely.
The most important safety feature of the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe is its colour-coded oral tip — distinctively coloured in the internationally recognised purple or amber used to designate oral and enteral devices. This colour coding is not merely cosmetic: the oral tip is designed to be physically incompatible with luer-lock needle fittings and intravenous line connections, making it impossible to connect to an IV line or to attach a needle. This engineering safety feature prevents the catastrophic wrong-route medication errors — where an oral medicine is accidentally administered intravenously — that can be fatal. The oral syringe should never be modified, and must never be used with a needle or connected to any intravenous device.
BD Plastipak Oral Syringes are for single use only — they should be discarded after one use to maintain hygiene and accuracy. They are suitable for oral administration of all standard liquid medicines and for administration via nasogastric, gastrostomy, and other enteral feeding tubes under appropriate clinical instruction. For advice on accurate medicine administration or to ask about appropriate syringe sizes for specific medicines, speak to a Pearl Chemist Group pharmacist.
How to Use the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
- Wash your hands. Always wash with soap and water and dry thoroughly before handling the syringe or any medicine.
- Check the medicine and the dose. Before drawing up any medicine, confirm the medicine name, dose, and concentration with the prescription or patient information leaflet. Confirm the volume in millilitres that corresponds to the prescribed dose.
- Draw up the medicine. Remove the syringe from its sterile packaging. Insert the oral tip into the medicine bottle or oral dosing cup. Pull the plunger back smoothly to draw up the required volume of medicine, reading the measurement at the bottom of the plunger tip on the graduated scale.
- Check for air bubbles. If air bubbles are present in the barrel, hold the syringe tip upward and gently tap the barrel to bring bubbles to the top. Slowly push the plunger up to expel any air before rechecking that the volume reading is correct.
- Administer the medicine. For oral administration, place the syringe tip gently into the side of the mouth (between the cheek and gum) rather than pointing directly to the back of the throat, and push the plunger slowly and steadily. A slow, controlled delivery rate reduces the risk of choking, particularly in infants and young children. Avoid squirting medicine rapidly to the back of the throat.
- Discard after use. This syringe is for single use only. Dispose of the used syringe safely after each use — do not wash and reuse, as this may compromise hygiene and accuracy.
Tips for administering to infants and young children
- Hold the infant in a semi-upright position — never administer oral medicines to a child lying flat, as this increases the risk of aspiration.
- Administer medicine slowly into the side of the mouth in small aliquots, pausing to allow the child to swallow each portion before giving more.
- If the child spits out a dose, do not re-administer without contacting your pharmacist or GP for advice on whether and how to repeat the dose.
- Do not mix medicines in the syringe with each other without pharmacist confirmation that they are compatible.
BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml — Not Applicable
The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe is a medical device for measuring and administering medicines. It does not have pharmacological side effects. Side effects experienced will be attributable to the medicine being administered, not the syringe itself. Refer to the patient information leaflet for the specific medicine for its side effect profile.
How to Store BD Plastipak Oral Syringes
- Store in the original sealed packaging in a clean, dry location until use.
- Keep away from direct sunlight and heat sources, which may distort the polypropylene barrel or affect the graduated markings.
- Do not refrigerate.
- Keep out of the sight and reach of young children.
- Do not use after the expiry date if marked on the packaging.
- Once opened and used, discard safely — do not store used syringes for reuse.
Who Is the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml Suitable For?
The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml is suitable for anyone who requires accurate measurement and administration of liquid medicines orally or via enteral feeding tubes.
Suitable for:
- Parents administering liquid medicines to infants and young children where precise dosing is essential
- Carers responsible for administering liquid medicines to vulnerable adults or those unable to self-medicate
- Patients who self-administer liquid medicines requiring accurate small-volume dosing
- Administration of liquid medicines via nasogastric or gastrostomy tubes under clinical instruction
- Healthcare professionals and trained carers in community care settings
- Anyone who requires more accurate liquid medicine measurement than a household spoon can provide
Important — for oral and enteral use only:
- This syringe must never be used for intravenous or injection purposes
- Never attach a needle to this syringe
- Never connect to an intravenous giving set or any IV device
- The oral tip colour coding and design exists specifically to prevent wrong-route administration errors
Our Pearl Chemist Group pharmacists can advise on the most appropriate syringe size and type for your medicine administration needs.
Key Components of the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Graduated polypropylene barrel | Clear, rigid barrel with precise volume markings allowing accurate reading of the drawn-up volume. Graduation markings typically in 0.1ml or 0.2ml increments to enable accurate small-volume measurement. Polypropylene is chemically resistant to most liquid medicines, ensuring compatibility and preventing barrel distortion that could affect dosing accuracy. |
| Soft polyethylene plunger | The plunger rod and plunger tip draw liquid into the barrel when pulled back and expel it smoothly when pushed forward. The soft tip creates a reliable seal against the barrel walls, ensuring accurate volume measurement and smooth, controlled delivery of the medicine. |
| Colour-coded oral tip (purple/amber) | The internationally standardised colour-coded tip that designates this device for oral and enteral use only. Physically designed to be incompatible with needle luer-lock fittings and IV connections, preventing wrong-route medication errors. The colour designation is an international patient safety standard for oral syringes. |
BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml — How to Use for Accurate Dosing
This is a medical device — there is no pharmacological dose associated with the syringe itself. For dosing guidance specific to the medicine being administered, refer to the medicine's patient information leaflet or follow your prescriber's or pharmacist's instructions.
- Capacity: 5ml maximum volume
- Graduation: Marked in small increments (typically 0.1ml or 0.2ml) for accurate dose measurement
- For single use only: Discard after use — do not wash and reuse
Precautions When Using the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
- Always read the medicine's patient information leaflet and confirm the correct dose in millilitres before drawing up any medicine.
- Always draw up medicine slowly and check the volume at eye level against the graduated markings for an accurate reading.
- Administer oral medicines slowly into the side of the mouth — never squirt rapidly to the back of the throat.
- Keep the syringe in its original packaging until use to maintain sterility and protect the graduated markings from damage.
- Never store a drawn-up dose of medicine in the syringe for later use.
- Never share a used syringe between patients.
Our Pearl Chemist Group pharmacists are available to advise on accurate medicine administration for adults, children, and infants.
Materials Used in the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe is a medical device and does not contain pharmaceutical active ingredients or excipients. It is manufactured from:
- Polypropylene — the barrel and tip, providing chemical compatibility with most liquid medicines and clarity for dose reading
- Polyethylene — the plunger rod and plunger tip, providing smooth movement and a reliable barrel seal
This product is latex-free.
If you have a known sensitivity to polypropylene or polyethylene, consult your pharmacist before use.
Last reviewed: May 2026.
Always read the instructions for use included in the packaging before use. For advice on accurate medicine administration, speak to a Pearl Chemist pharmacist or call +44 (0)20 8672 2157.
What Is the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml Used For?
Accurate dosing of liquid medicines is critical for safe and effective treatment. Whether administering prescribed antibiotics to a young child, measuring a carefully titrated paediatric dose, or giving liquid medicines via an enteral feeding tube, the difference between the correct dose and a significantly over or under dose can determine whether treatment succeeds or causes harm. The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml is a purpose-designed, precision-graduated oral dosing syringe from BD — Becton, Dickinson and Company — one of the world's foremost medical device manufacturers, trusted in clinical and home care settings globally for decades.
The 5ml oral syringe provides accurate, reliable measurement of liquid medicine volumes from small fractions of a millilitre up to the full 5ml capacity, with clear graduated markings enabling precise reading of each dose. The graduated scale allows parents, carers, and patients to measure liquid medicines far more accurately than is possible with a household teaspoon — the traditional but unreliable alternative that can result in doses varying by up to 40% from the intended volume depending on the spoon used. Using an oral syringe eliminates this uncertainty, ensuring the intended dose is drawn up accurately and administered completely.
The most important safety feature of the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe is its colour-coded oral tip — distinctively coloured in the internationally recognised purple or amber used to designate oral and enteral devices. This colour coding is not merely cosmetic: the oral tip is designed to be physically incompatible with luer-lock needle fittings and intravenous line connections, making it impossible to connect to an IV line or to attach a needle. This engineering safety feature prevents the catastrophic wrong-route medication errors — where an oral medicine is accidentally administered intravenously — that can be fatal. The oral syringe should never be modified, and must never be used with a needle or connected to any intravenous device.
BD Plastipak Oral Syringes are for single use only — they should be discarded after one use to maintain hygiene and accuracy. They are suitable for oral administration of all standard liquid medicines and for administration via nasogastric, gastrostomy, and other enteral feeding tubes under appropriate clinical instruction. For advice on accurate medicine administration or to ask about appropriate syringe sizes for specific medicines, speak to a Pearl Chemist Group pharmacist.
How to Use the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
- Wash your hands. Always wash with soap and water and dry thoroughly before handling the syringe or any medicine.
- Check the medicine and the dose. Before drawing up any medicine, confirm the medicine name, dose, and concentration with the prescription or patient information leaflet. Confirm the volume in millilitres that corresponds to the prescribed dose.
- Draw up the medicine. Remove the syringe from its sterile packaging. Insert the oral tip into the medicine bottle or oral dosing cup. Pull the plunger back smoothly to draw up the required volume of medicine, reading the measurement at the bottom of the plunger tip on the graduated scale.
- Check for air bubbles. If air bubbles are present in the barrel, hold the syringe tip upward and gently tap the barrel to bring bubbles to the top. Slowly push the plunger up to expel any air before rechecking that the volume reading is correct.
- Administer the medicine. For oral administration, place the syringe tip gently into the side of the mouth (between the cheek and gum) rather than pointing directly to the back of the throat, and push the plunger slowly and steadily. A slow, controlled delivery rate reduces the risk of choking, particularly in infants and young children. Avoid squirting medicine rapidly to the back of the throat.
- Discard after use. This syringe is for single use only. Dispose of the used syringe safely after each use — do not wash and reuse, as this may compromise hygiene and accuracy.
Tips for administering to infants and young children
- Hold the infant in a semi-upright position — never administer oral medicines to a child lying flat, as this increases the risk of aspiration.
- Administer medicine slowly into the side of the mouth in small aliquots, pausing to allow the child to swallow each portion before giving more.
- If the child spits out a dose, do not re-administer without contacting your pharmacist or GP for advice on whether and how to repeat the dose.
- Do not mix medicines in the syringe with each other without pharmacist confirmation that they are compatible.
BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml — Not Applicable
The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe is a medical device for measuring and administering medicines. It does not have pharmacological side effects. Side effects experienced will be attributable to the medicine being administered, not the syringe itself. Refer to the patient information leaflet for the specific medicine for its side effect profile.
How to Store BD Plastipak Oral Syringes
- Store in the original sealed packaging in a clean, dry location until use.
- Keep away from direct sunlight and heat sources, which may distort the polypropylene barrel or affect the graduated markings.
- Do not refrigerate.
- Keep out of the sight and reach of young children.
- Do not use after the expiry date if marked on the packaging.
- Once opened and used, discard safely — do not store used syringes for reuse.
Who Is the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml Suitable For?
The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml is suitable for anyone who requires accurate measurement and administration of liquid medicines orally or via enteral feeding tubes.
Suitable for:
- Parents administering liquid medicines to infants and young children where precise dosing is essential
- Carers responsible for administering liquid medicines to vulnerable adults or those unable to self-medicate
- Patients who self-administer liquid medicines requiring accurate small-volume dosing
- Administration of liquid medicines via nasogastric or gastrostomy tubes under clinical instruction
- Healthcare professionals and trained carers in community care settings
- Anyone who requires more accurate liquid medicine measurement than a household spoon can provide
Important — for oral and enteral use only:
- This syringe must never be used for intravenous or injection purposes
- Never attach a needle to this syringe
- Never connect to an intravenous giving set or any IV device
- The oral tip colour coding and design exists specifically to prevent wrong-route administration errors
Our Pearl Chemist Group pharmacists can advise on the most appropriate syringe size and type for your medicine administration needs.
Key Components of the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
| Component | Role |
|---|---|
| Graduated polypropylene barrel | Clear, rigid barrel with precise volume markings allowing accurate reading of the drawn-up volume. Graduation markings typically in 0.1ml or 0.2ml increments to enable accurate small-volume measurement. Polypropylene is chemically resistant to most liquid medicines, ensuring compatibility and preventing barrel distortion that could affect dosing accuracy. |
| Soft polyethylene plunger | The plunger rod and plunger tip draw liquid into the barrel when pulled back and expel it smoothly when pushed forward. The soft tip creates a reliable seal against the barrel walls, ensuring accurate volume measurement and smooth, controlled delivery of the medicine. |
| Colour-coded oral tip (purple/amber) | The internationally standardised colour-coded tip that designates this device for oral and enteral use only. Physically designed to be incompatible with needle luer-lock fittings and IV connections, preventing wrong-route medication errors. The colour designation is an international patient safety standard for oral syringes. |
BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml — How to Use for Accurate Dosing
This is a medical device — there is no pharmacological dose associated with the syringe itself. For dosing guidance specific to the medicine being administered, refer to the medicine's patient information leaflet or follow your prescriber's or pharmacist's instructions.
- Capacity: 5ml maximum volume
- Graduation: Marked in small increments (typically 0.1ml or 0.2ml) for accurate dose measurement
- For single use only: Discard after use — do not wash and reuse
Precautions When Using the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
- Always read the medicine's patient information leaflet and confirm the correct dose in millilitres before drawing up any medicine.
- Always draw up medicine slowly and check the volume at eye level against the graduated markings for an accurate reading.
- Administer oral medicines slowly into the side of the mouth — never squirt rapidly to the back of the throat.
- Keep the syringe in its original packaging until use to maintain sterility and protect the graduated markings from damage.
- Never store a drawn-up dose of medicine in the syringe for later use.
- Never share a used syringe between patients.
Our Pearl Chemist Group pharmacists are available to advise on accurate medicine administration for adults, children, and infants.
Materials Used in the BD Plastipak Oral Syringe 5ml
The BD Plastipak Oral Syringe is a medical device and does not contain pharmaceutical active ingredients or excipients. It is manufactured from:
- Polypropylene — the barrel and tip, providing chemical compatibility with most liquid medicines and clarity for dose reading
- Polyethylene — the plunger rod and plunger tip, providing smooth movement and a reliable barrel seal
This product is latex-free.
If you have a known sensitivity to polypropylene or polyethylene, consult your pharmacist before use.
Last reviewed: May 2026.
Always read the instructions for use included in the packaging before use. For advice on accurate medicine administration, speak to a Pearl Chemist pharmacist or call +44 (0)20 8672 2157.
FAQs
Why should I use an oral syringe instead of a household teaspoon?
Household teaspoons vary substantially in their actual capacity — studies have shown that spoon volumes can range from approximately 2ml to 7ml for items described as a teaspoon, depending on the spoon. This variability means that a dose given on a household teaspoon could be as much as 40% higher or lower than the intended dose. For most medicines, particularly for infants and children, this level of dosing inaccuracy is clinically unacceptable. A graduated oral syringe allows the exact volume in millilitres to be measured and administered accurately every time. This is particularly important for medicines with narrow therapeutic windows where the difference between an effective and a harmful dose is small.
Why is the oral syringe tip coloured differently from standard syringes?
The colour-coded tip is an internationally recognised patient safety standard. Purple and amber are the designated colours for oral and enteral syringes, distinguishing them visually and physically from syringes used for injections or intravenous administration. The tip is also physically engineered to be incompatible with needle luer-lock fittings and IV line connectors, making it impossible to accidentally connect to an intravenous device. Wrong-route medication errors — where an oral medicine is accidentally given intravenously — have caused deaths. The colour coding and physical incompatibility design are critical safety features that must not be circumvented.
Can I use the 5ml syringe to administer medicines via a feeding tube?
Yes, BD Plastipak Oral Syringes are suitable for administration via nasogastric, gastrostomy, and other enteral feeding tubes, where the tip of the syringe is compatible with the enteral connector on the tube. If you are administering medicines via a feeding tube in the home, ensure you have received specific instruction from your clinical team or pharmacist on the correct technique, appropriate flushing protocol, and confirmation that each medicine is appropriate for enteral administration. Some medicines should not be crushed or administered via feeding tubes — always check with your pharmacist or prescriber first.
Is the 5ml size appropriate for infant medicine doses?
The 5ml syringe is the most commonly used size for infant and paediatric medicine administration, and most liquid paediatric medicines are formulated so that the standard dose falls within a 5ml volume. For very small volumes — such as doses measured in fractions of a millilitre for small infants — a smaller 1ml or 2ml oral syringe may provide more precise measurement. Ask your Pearl Chemist Group pharmacist for advice on the most appropriate syringe size for the specific medicine and dose your child has been prescribed.