Hospira Bacteriostatic Water in New Zealand: Where to Buy It, the NZD Price and What Is in the Vial
On this page
- “Hospira bacteriostatic water” is Bacteriostatic Water for Injection USP in the 30 mL multiple-dose vial made by Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer company.
- We found no New Zealand seller listing it on 6 October 2026; the New Zealand sellers we read sell bacteriostatic water with no manufacturer named.
- Aus BAC Supply ships the factory-sealed vial from Melbourne to New Zealand for NZ$48.18, plus NZ$18.99 standard postage (4–7 business days).
- It is a labelled diluent for compatible medicines, not a ready-to-administer medicine, and is never injected by itself.
- An order is a personal import: Medsafe’s guidance on importing medicines applies, and Customs can inspect or hold any parcel.
If you are in New Zealand and searching for Hospira bacteriostatic water — “hospira bac water”, as most people type it — this guide covers what the name means, what is in the vial, where it can be bought from New Zealand, what it costs in New Zealand dollars, how it differs from the own-label bacteriostatic water most sellers offer, and what Medsafe publishes about importing it.
What “Hospira bacteriostatic water” means
Hospira is a manufacturer of injectable medicines and infusion products and is a Pfizer company. “Hospira bacteriostatic water” is therefore not a different kind of product: it is bacteriostatic water for injection produced under the Hospira label. The label name is Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP — sterile water containing 0.9% (9 mg/mL) benzyl alcohol as a bacteriostatic preservative, in a multiple-dose vial. The preservative is what lets a labelled multi-dose vial be entered more than once; what BAC water is and who makes BAC water cover the detail.
It is labelled as a diluent or solvent for compatible medicines that require preparation before injection. It is not a ready-to-administer medicine and is never injected by itself; the supplied product information and a qualified healthcare professional govern any use. Aus BAC Supply is an independent retailer and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or an authorised distributor of Hospira or Pfizer; the name identifies the genuine factory-sealed product supplied.
What is in the vial
| Product | Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP |
| Manufacturer | Hospira, Inc., a Pfizer company, Lake Forest, Illinois, USA |
| Contents | Sterile water with 0.9% (9 mg/mL) benzyl alcohol |
| Fill and container | 30 mL multiple-dose plastic vial, supplied factory-sealed; the manufacturer packs it in trays of 25 |
| NDC | 0409-3977-01 (vial) · 0409-3977-03 (tray) |
| Standard | Released against the USP monograph for Bacteriostatic Water for Injection |
| On the vial | The manufacturer’s label, lot number and expiry |
| Product information | The manufacturer’s current package insert, on DailyMed and Pfizer’s labelling site, linked from our documentation page |
The manufacturer’s label also lists a 20 mL glass presentation, which we do not stock. Everything we sell is the 30 mL vial: as a single, in packs of 2, 3 and 5, and in trays of 25 and 50. Every option is the same factory-sealed vial; the pack size is simply how many you receive.
Where to buy it in New Zealand
We can only report what we found. On 6 October 2026 a search for Hospira bacteriostatic water in New Zealand returned United States and Canadian medical suppliers, Australian stores and marketplace pages, and no seller in New Zealand listing the vial. The New Zealand sellers of bacteriostatic water whose pages we could read sell 3 mL and 10 mL vials with no manufacturer named, described as a laboratory reagent or as lab prepared; our comparison of New Zealand suppliers sets out what each publishes. Trade Me’s marketplace searches for “bacteriostatic water” and “bac water vial” that day returned no vial of bacteriostatic water. We did not find it listed online by a New Zealand pharmacy or pharmaceutical wholesaler; a pharmacist is the right person to ask about that.
That leaves ordering it from overseas. Aus BAC Supply is an Australian retailer that sells the original Hospira 30 mL vial in Australia and, since October 2026, through its New Zealand store: the same factory-sealed stock, dispatched from Melbourne with tracking, priced and charged in New Zealand dollars. We do not decant, repackage or relabel it.
Price in NZD and delivery
From the New Zealand store the single 30 mL vial is NZ$48.18, which is NZ$1.61 per millilitre. Packs of 2, 3 and 5 and the trays of 25 and 50 lower the price per vial, and each is priced on the product page; two vials with a pack of 20 insulin syringes are also sold as a kit.
Postage is NZ$18.99 standard (4–7 business days) or NZ$39.99 express (2–5 business days), per order and estimated from dispatch; customs processing and rural delivery can add to that. Orders placed before 1 pm Melbourne time on a business day are dispatched the same business day with Australia Post’s international tracked services. Payment is by card: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The total shown at checkout is the amount charged.
Hospira vial versus own-label BAC water
Most bacteriostatic water sold to New Zealand buyers, ours included, is not the Hospira vial. It is an own-label or unbranded vial, and the two are different products with different labels. Our own-label vial is the one in the table; what another seller’s unbranded vial says is on its own label.
| Hospira 30 mL vial | Aus BAC Supply own-label vial | |
|---|---|---|
| What the label says | Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP — a labelled diluent for compatible medicines | Bacteriostatic water, 0.9% benzyl alcohol, multiple-dose, with a warning panel: not for injection or infusion, not for human or veterinary administration, not to be ingested |
| Who filled it | Hospira, Inc. (Pfizer), named on the label, with lot and expiry | Supplied under the Aus BAC Supply label, with lot and expiry on each vial |
| Standard | USP monograph for Bacteriostatic Water for Injection | The label’s own statement of contents; not a manufacturer presentation |
| Sizes | 30 mL | 10, 20 and 30 mL, and 3 mL in packs |
| Price in NZD | NZ$48.18 (30 mL) | NZ$24.65 (10 mL) · NZ$35.82 (20 mL) · NZ$42.00 (30 mL) |
| Per mL | NZ$1.61 | NZ$1.40 (30 mL) |
They are not labelled for the same purposes and are not interchangeable; each vial’s own label governs. Which to order is a question of what you need the label to say, and each product page states exactly what its label says.
How to tell it is the original vial
Four things on the vial itself: the manufacturer’s printed label, naming Hospira and the product as Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP; a lot number and an expiry date printed on it; the NDC; and an intact flip-off seal over the stopper, on a 30 mL fill in the manufacturer’s plastic vial. A seller who cannot say who made the vial is not selling this product. The vial-label guide walks through each item, and the documentation page links the manufacturer’s current product information so the label can be checked against it. Two things about the seller matter as much: a registered company you can look up, shown where a buyer can find it, and a plain statement of what the product is not.
Importing it into New Zealand
An order from us is a personal import, and you are the importer. Medsafe’s guidance on importing medicines for personal use says a medicine sent from an overseas supplier must be for your own use or your immediate family’s and must not be supplied to anyone else, and that Medsafe discourages importing medicines it has not reviewed and approved. This vial is the manufacturer’s United States presentation, released to the USP standard. Whether a product is a prescription medicine in New Zealand is Medsafe’s to state; when we searched its public classification database on 4 October 2026 it held no entry for water for injection, sodium chloride or benzyl alcohol. That is what we found, not legal advice; check it, or ask Medsafe, before you order. The New Zealand Customs Service can inspect or hold any parcel; if yours is held, contact us with your order reference and we will send the invoice and product details it asks for. The full section is in our New Zealand buying guide.
The original Hospira vial, shipped to New Zealand
Factory-sealed 30 mL Bacteriostatic Water for Injection USP, dispatched from Melbourne with tracking and priced in NZD.
Buy Hospira bacteriostatic water in NZD →Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Hospira bacteriostatic water in New Zealand?
We found no New Zealand seller listing it when we looked on 6 October 2026. Aus BAC Supply ships the factory-sealed Hospira 30 mL vial from Melbourne to New Zealand through its New Zealand store, priced and charged in NZD: NZ$48.18 a vial, plus NZ$18.99 standard or NZ$39.99 express postage per order. An order is a personal import.
How much does Hospira bacteriostatic water cost in New Zealand?
NZ$48.18 for the single 30 mL vial from our New Zealand store, before postage of NZ$18.99 standard or NZ$39.99 express. Packs of 2, 3 and 5 and trays of 25 and 50 lower the price per vial; each is priced on the product page.
Is Hospira bacteriostatic water the same as BAC water?
BAC water is the common abbreviation for bacteriostatic water, and Hospira’s is one manufacturer’s presentation of it: Bacteriostatic Water for Injection USP in a 30 mL multiple-dose vial. Much of the BAC water sold to New Zealand buyers is own-label or unbranded water with no manufacturer named, which is a different product with its own label.
What is the difference between the Hospira vial and own-label BAC water?
The Hospira vial is the manufacturer’s labelled Bacteriostatic Water for Injection USP, supplied factory-sealed and unaltered with the manufacturer’s name, lot and expiry on it. Our own-label vial is labelled simply as bacteriostatic water, comes in 10, 20 and 30 mL, and its label states that it is not for injection or infusion and not for human or veterinary administration. Read each vial’s own label; they are not interchangeable.
Is Hospira bacteriostatic water sold on Trade Me or in New Zealand pharmacies?
Not that we could find. On 6 October 2026 Trade Me’s marketplace searches for “bacteriostatic water” and “bac water vial” returned no vial of bacteriostatic water, and we did not find it listed online by a New Zealand pharmacy or wholesaler. A pharmacist is the right person to ask; we can only speak for what our own store sells.
Do I need a prescription to order it?
We do not require one to order. Whether a product is a prescription medicine in New Zealand is for Medsafe to state. Its classification database is public, and when we searched it on 4 October 2026 it held no entry for water for injection, sodium chloride or benzyl alcohol. Check it, or ask Medsafe, if you are unsure.
How long does delivery to New Zealand take?
Orders placed before 1 pm Melbourne time on a business day are dispatched the same business day. Standard is estimated at 4–7 business days and express at 2–5 business days after dispatch; customs processing and rural delivery can take longer, and tracking is emailed when the parcel ships.
Sources
- Bacteriostatic Water for Injection USP — manufacturer product information — Pfizer (Hospira)
- Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP — prescribing information (package insert), current version — DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Bacteriostatic Water for Injection — USP monograph — United States Pharmacopeial Convention
- Personal importation of medicines (revised 12 November 2021) — Medsafe, New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority
- Database of medicine classifications (searched 4 October 2026) — Medsafe, New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority
- International delivery times — Australia Post
Aus BAC Supply is an independent retailer of unopened manufacturer presentations. These products are diluents or solvents, not ready-to-administer medicines. Never inject a diluent by itself or self-administer. Compatibility, preparation and use must follow the supplied manufacturer information under qualified healthcare-professional direction. This article is general information, not medical advice. Aus BAC Supply is an independent retailer and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or an authorised distributor of the manufacturer; the name identifies the genuine factory-sealed product supplied.