Workforce Empowerment
Duplex® can help improve* patient flow and support more timely antimicrobial review.
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Ready-to-use Medications
A licensed, ready-to-use, two-chamber medication mixing device that keeps pre-measured medication and diluent separate until you are ready to mix and administer them.
For healthcare professionals only.
Prescribing information can be found at the bottom of the page.
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Duplex® can help improve* patient flow and support more timely antimicrobial review.
Duplex® helps ensure minimal prescribing variation and reduces* occupational‑exposure risks.
Duplex® can help free up valuable aseptic capacity, reduce* reliance on refrigeration and minimise drug wastage.
Duplex® helps support earlier discharge and reduces* frequent nurse visits, without adding variability to the antimicrobial pathway.
*compared to the traditional needle, syringe and vial method.
With more than 42,000 nursing vacancies across the NHS1 and £3 billion spent annually on agency staff to plug persistent workforce gaps2, clinical teams are under unprecedented strain.
By cutting preparation time by around 81%3*, Duplex® can help enable faster medication administration, supporting patient flow and more timely antimicrobial review.
Duplex® reduces preparation steps from 18 down to 4 (78% fewer) 3*, helping to minimise variation and support more reproducible, stewardship‑aligned practice.
As an RTU presentation, Duplex® can help to reduce* preparation errors and needlestick injuries4,5, lowering the risk of incorrect dosing and exposure while strengthening medication safety.
*compared to the traditional needle, syringe and vial method.
By 2050, deaths caused by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are projected to increase by around 70%6. This alarming trajectory underpins why the WHO recognises AMR as one of the most urgent threats to global public health7. Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) could prevent as many as 92 million deaths during this time6.
Duplex’s® pre‑measured drug and diluent support accurate and timely dosing8, helping to ensure minimal prescribing variation and effective antimicrobial stewardship.
Duplex’s® closed‑system design reduces the risk of contamination and helps protect healthcare workers by minimising occupational exposure to antibiotics9.
By supporting self‑administration in community settings, Duplex® helps to lower the risk of hospital‑acquired infections and exposure to resistant organisms10.
Aseptic services across the UK are under increasing strain, leading to delays in patient treatment. Delays are reported by 91% of providers, and 62% of these delays are linked to preparation challenges within inhouse pharmacy aseptic units11.
As a licensed ready‑to‑use presentation, Duplex® can help free up valuable aseptic capacity for other high‑priority preparations12.
Duplex’s® extended shelf life supports more predictable planning and can help minimise drug wastage by reducing the need to discard unused doses8.
Duplex® can be stored at ambient temperature, which can help reduce reliance on refrigeration and support smoother day‑to‑day stock management8.
Shifting care from hospital to the community is central to the NHS 10‑year plan13, as limited homecare capacity currently delays treatment for up to one in three patients14, resulting in 4.6 million lost bed days and £1.5 billion in avoidable cost per year14,15.
A simplified preparation process helps enable self‑administration3 and supports earlier discharge16, without adding variability to the antimicrobial pathway.
Ambient stability and an extended shelf life can help streamline planning8, reduce frequent nurse visits17, and support continuity of therapy across different care settings.
Delivering antimicrobial therapy in the community has the potential to reduce treatment costs to 20–50% of inpatient care15, while achieving comparable patient outcomes18.
Duplex® Meropenem Bag (500 mg) with 50 ml Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
Duplex® can be ordered through the following wholesalers:
Duplex® Pip/Taz Bag (4.5 gram) with 100 ml Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
Duplex® Meropenem Bag (500 mg) with 50 ml Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
Duplex® Meropenem Bag (1 g) with 50 ml Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
Each box contains 24 bags.
Piperacillin/Tazobactam:
Stable for 24 hours at room temperature.
Stable for 7 days when refrigerated.
Meropenem (both strengths):
Stable for 3 hours at room temperature.
Stable for 24 hours when refrigerated.
Refer to the Summary of Product Characteristics for further information.
Yes. Duplex® is compatible with any standard gravity infusion line.
However, we recommend using the B. Braun Intrafix® SafeSet Flush, which includes an additional port to facilitate flushing.
To request samples, please contact our Ready-to-Use team at:
gb_anaesthesiaandivpharmartuteam@bbraun.com
Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Adverse events should also be reported to B. Braun Medical Ltd (tel 0800 2980299).
XX-WEBNT-05-24
XX-WEB-RTUD-07-26 July 2026
1. House of Commons Library (2024) The NHS workforce in England. London: House of Commons Library. Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9731/CBP-9731.pdf [researchbr...liament.uk]
2. Department of Health and Social Care (2025) Nearly £1 billion for NHS frontline after agency spend crackdown. London: GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nearly-1-billion-for-nhs-frontline-after-agency-spend-crackdown
3. Braun (2024) An Innovative IV Antibiotic Preparation Device to Release Time to Care and Aseptic Capacity. Poster abstract accepted by OATS 2024. (Full manuscript in preparation).
4. Sutherland, A., Canobbio, M., Clarke, J., Randall, M., Skelland, T. and Weston, E. (2018) ‘Incidence and prevalence of intravenous medication errors in the UK: A systematic review’, European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 27(1), ejhpharm‑2018‑001624.
5. Lyons, I., Furniss, D., Blandford, A., Chumbley, G., Iacovides, I., Wei, L. et al. (2018) ‘Errors and discrepancies in the administration of intravenous infusions: A mixed methods multihospital observational study’, BMJ Quality & Safety, 27(11), pp. 892–901.
6. GBD 2021 Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators (2024) Global burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance 1990–2021: a systematic analysis with forecasts to 2050. The Lancet, 404(10459), pp. 1199–1226. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01867-1
7. World Health Organization (2023) Antimicrobial resistance. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
8. B.Braun Medical (2026) Piperacillin/Tazobactam 4 g/0.5 g powder and solvent for solution for infusion: Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Electronic Medicines Compendium (emc). Available at: Piperacillin/Tazobactam 4 g/0.5 g powder and solvent for solution for infusion SmPC (Accessed: 24 June 2026).
9.Sessink, P.J.M., Nyulasi, T., Haraldsson, E.L.M. and Rebic, B. (2019) ‘Reduction of contamination with antibiotics on surfaces and in environmental air in three European hospitals following implementation of a closedsystem drug transfer device’, Annals of Work Exposures and Health, 63(4), pp. 459–467.
10.Reidy, P., Breslin, T. & Muldoon, E. (2024) Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) across the world: a comparative analysis—what lessons can we learn? JAC Antimicrobial Resistance, 6(4), dlae111. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/jacamr/article/6/4/dlae111/7716869
11.British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) (2022) A National Evaluation of Capacity in Intravenous Systemic Anti Cancer Therapy (IV SACT) Preparatory Services. Available at: https://www.bopa.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/BOPA-A-National-Evaluation-of-Capacity-in-Intravenous-Systemic-Anti-Cancer-Therapy-IV-SACT-Preparatory-Services.pdf
12.Specialist Pharmacy Service (2026) Understanding aseptic services in the NHS. Available at: Understanding aseptic services in the NHS (Accessed: 15 June 2026).
13. Department of Health and Social Care & Prime Minister's Office (2025) Fit for the future: 10 Year Health Plan for England – executive summary. London: GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future/fit-for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for-england-executive-summary
14. Nuffield Trust (2025) Delayed discharges from hospital. Available at: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/delayed-discharges-from-hospital
15. Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) (2021) Cost calculator for UK outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services. Available at: https://shtg.scot/our-advice/cost-calculator-for-uk-outpatient-parenteral-antimicrobial-therapy-opat-services/
16. NHS Transformation Directorate (2021–2024) Rapid improvement guide to earlier daily discharge times. Available at: https://transform.england.nhs.uk/improvement/100-day-discharge-challenge/ten-best-practice-initiatives/supporting-information/rapid-improvement-guide-to-earlier-daily-discharge-times/
17. Wolie, Z.T., Roberts, J.A., Gilchrist, M., McCarthy, K. & Sime, F.B. (2024) ‘Current practices and challenges of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy: a narrative review’, Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 79(9), pp. 2083–2102. Available at: https://academic.oup.com/jac/article/79/9/2083/7688904
18. Gilchrist, M., Barr, D., Drummond, F., Muir, A., Williams, J., Scriven, J., Snape, S., Hemsley, C., Durojaiye, C.O., Patel, S. and Seaton, R.A. (2022) Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in the UK: findings from the BSAC National Outcomes Registry (2015–19). Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 77(5), pp.1481–1490. Available at: View article (Accessed: 15 June 2026).