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Infusion therapy

Infusion therapy is the administration of medications directly into the body through a blood vessel, under the skin, or into a muscle. With current advances in treatment and technology, it now is possible to infuse most medications at home. This therapy sometimes is started while the patient is in the hospital and continues at home after discharge, or is started at home altogether. Therapy may continue until the patient no longer needs the medication or is able to go to an ambulatory infusion center or physician office for ongoing infusions.

Longer-term infusion therapy -- the kind done at home -- usually requires an access site on the torso of the body, rather than in the arms or hands.

Some of the most common reasons for needing home infusion therapy: cancer, chronic pain, dehydration, gastrointestinal (GI) problems, heart failure, immune system problems, serious infections.

Home infusion therapies we provide:

• Antibiotics
• Antivirals
• Cancer chemotherapy
• Factor products for bleeding disorders
• Immune globulin
• Inotropic agents
• Pain management
• Total parenteral nutrition (TPN)

Home infusion clinical services:

• 24-hour on-call and delivery
• Diligent safety and quality control procedures
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Laboratory monitoring
• Medication profiling and pharmacokinetics
• Nursing care coordination
• Patient and caregiver education
• Pharmacy care management

The infusion team (physician, pharmacist and nurse) work together to make sure the therapy becomes a part of the patient's everyday life -- rather than the focus. The pharmacist and nurse are home care specialists, which requires a certain set of skills not found in hospital nursing or retail pharmacy. Careful monitoring of lab results, proper adherence by the patient/caregiver to infusion techniques taught and staying focused on the desired outcomes help enable us to avoid complications and unnecessary risks for the patient, thus achieving treatment success.

A home care infusion team usually includes the physician, along with an infusion pharmacist and nurse. Each plays a key role:

• The physician orders the medication and evaluates its effectiveness through lab tests and input from the pharmacist and nurse.
• The pharmacist prepares the prescribed medication and ensures that the medication, infusion pump and supplies are delivered to the right patient, at the right time, in the right dosage.
• The nurse teaches the patient/caregiver how to infuse the medication based on the method selected so that the patient can become independent.

Find answers to common questions about infusion treatment.