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For Immediate
Release Representative Pitts Visits Home Infusion Therapy Pharmacy Pharmacy Officials tout cost benefits of Infusion Therapy Washington– Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) today visited the Apria Healthcare Pharmacy in Mountville and met with Apria officials regarding access to home infusion therapy services. Home infusion therapy is a service which allows patients to maintain independence and quality of life while undergoing treatment for chronic or terminal health conditions. The infusion pharmacy currently provides home infusion services to approximately 1,600 area residents per year and supplies intravenous antibiotics, total parenteral nutrition, chemotherapy, pain management, and intravenous immune globulin. Congressman Pitts’ statement follows: “As the number of Americans suffering from chronic, acute or terminal diseases continues to rise, services such as home infusion therapy are becoming increasingly important to the comfort and security of patients,” said Rep. Pitts. “I appreciate the cost benefits of home infusion therapy. I am pleased to learn more about the service by meeting with the skilled caregivers who provide Central Pennsylvania’s patients with reliable, high quality care in the comfort of their home.” Background Home infusion therapy involves the administration of medications using intravenous (into the bloodstream), subcutaneous (under the skin), and epidural routes (into the membranes surrounding the spinal cord. The types of therapies administered include antibiotics, chemotherapy, pain management, parenteral nutrition, and immune globulin. Many of these treatments would have previously required patients to receive inpatient treatment, which is significantly more expensive and reduces the patient’s ability to live an independent lifestyle. Diagnoses that commonly require infusion therapy include cancer and cancer-related pain; gastrointestinal diseases; congestive heart failure; immune disorders; and growth hormone deficiencies. Studies indicate the number of Americans suffering from certain acute conditions and chronic diseases is increasing, and that there are over 400 new infusion or injectable drugs in the pipeline of pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers. For these patients, home infusion therapy is often the most viable treatment available to alleviate symptoms and/or cure their disease, as well as maintain quality of life in the home environment and avoid expensive hospitalizations. ### |
