Advice needed - depot injections with obese patients

[mystic_chika]

I work in the community and administer LAIs frequently. Recently there has been some debate of best practice of site choice in the obese population. I know a couple of 2nd generation LAIs can be administered to the deltoid, Consta and Sustenna... but there are nurses who are injecting 1st generation depots (Haldol, Clopixol, Modecate, Fluanxol) into the deltoid of obese patients. The reason is that our only available needle length is either 1 or 1.5", neither of which will reach a muscle in either gluteal site. To prevent it from being administered into fat, they are using a 1.5" needle to inject up to 1ml of the oil-based 1st generation into the deltoid muscle.

While this does make sense...The problem is: the product monograph says "for deep gluteal injection only" on 1st generations. Research that I looked into says that all 1st generation is for gluteal administration only.

Does anyone have journals/research to suggest otherwise? I'm interested in hard facts, as there is a debate about policy change...and the research will dictate if we need to change policy. FYI - we do not have access to needles longer than 1.5", other than the needles supplied in Consta, Sustenna, Maintena.