Photos
Connect With Us Careers
HSE SPARK Award Brings Ireland's First Automated Syringe Filler for IVT Injections to Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Delivering Major Cost Savings for Aseptic Compounding.
Dublin, Ireland — July 2026
The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) has become the first hospital in Ireland to introduce the Rockmed Secure Syringe Filler (SSF) into its Aseptic Compounding Unit (ACU), a move that brings significant cost savings alongside safer, faster preparation of intravitreal (IVT) injections. The installation, delivered in partnership with M.E.D. Ophthalmology and Rockmed, offers a first look at technology that could reshape how Irish hospital pharmacies approach IVT compounding.
The project was made possible after being named as a winner in the HSE SPARK Impact 2026 Programme, which supports the adoption of innovative healthcare solutions that improve patient care, efficiency and value across the Irish healthcare system. It was this SPARK award funding that secured the Secure Syringe Filler for MMUH, making the hospital the first in the country to automate intravitreal syringe preparation.
MMUH provides specialist retinal treatments for conditions including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema. Anti-VEGF therapy remains the standard of care, with compounded bevacizumab intravitreal injections (BIVS) offering the most cost-effective treatment option. Demand for BIVS has grown significantly, with 2026 activity having increased by 40% when compared with 2021..
A closer look: what the Secure Syringe Filler means for pharmacy budgets
BIVS production is currently prepared manually within the ACU, competing for pharmacy resources with other critical services, including systemic anti-cancer therapy preparation. For pharmacy teams already managing high compounding volumes and tight budgets, the Secure Syringe Filler is designed to ease that pressure — and deliver savings — directly. These include:
● Significant cost savings: by minimising wastage and standardising preparation, the system builds directly on top of the cost avoidance BIVS already delivers versus commercial alternatives, extending the hospital's savings even further.
● No drop wasted: precise, automated dosing draws the full usable volume from each vial, reducing residual product loss and helping pharmacy stretch every vial — and every euro — further.
● Precision across the dosing range: designed for series filling across volume ranges of 0.05 mL to 0.15 mL, the system maintains a high level of accuracy with a maximum deviation of under 3%.
● Lower contamination risk: automated, closed-system filling reduces the manual handling steps involved in conventional syringe preparation, supporting consistent aseptic technique across every fill.
● Freed-up capacity: capable of filling up to 150 syringes an hour, the system reduces the manual workload on pharmacy staff, freeing up specialist time for other compounding priorities.
For any hospital already compounding IVT medications in-house, the model on show at MMUH raises an obvious question: how much could an automated, closed-system approach save your own aseptic unit?
Maríosa Kieran, Deputy Pharmacy Executive Manager, MMUH, said:
“As demand for intravitreal injections continues to grow, it is essential that we identify innovative ways to improve efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety and patient care. The introduction of the Secure Syringe Filler represents an important step forward for our Ophthalmology Service, helping to reduce wastage, standardise compounding and ease the manual workload on our pharmacy team. By making better use of specialist pharmacy resources, this technology supports the sustainable delivery of ophthalmology services while ensuring patients continue to have access to timely, cost-effective and high-quality treatment.”
Gary Cooper, Global Head of Ophthalmology for Uniphar Medtech, commented:
“We are delighted to support Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Rockmed Pharma in bringing this technology into routine clinical use, made possible through MMUH's HSE SPARK Impact 2026 award, as the first installation of its kind in Ireland. For pharmacy teams working in aseptic compounding, the Secure Syringe Filler offers a practical way to unlock real cost savings, reduce waste and free up capacity — while maintaining a strong focus on patient care.”
The implementation at MMUH highlights the value of collaboration between pharmacy teams, clinicians and industry partners in addressing growing compounding demand — and offers a model other Irish hospitals already preparing IVT medications in-house may look to as they consider their own aseptic unit capacity and waste reduction goals.
For more information, contact: katie@med.ie