Cold Chain Packaging for Home Infusion Therapies

Infusion therapies are any medication administered to a patient through an intravenous (IV) line. There are two main types of infusion therapies: traditional and specialty.

There are four main points of care for infusion therapies:

Hospital – Drugs are administered by infusion specialists and nurses in the traditional hospital setting.

Physician Office – For only certain segments of infusion needs, patients will receive therapy at a specialty doctor’s office with nurse supervision.

Ambulatory Infusion Center – Care centers designed specifically for infusion therapies, staffed with registered nurses and infusion specialists to oversee the therapies.

Home – Medication is sent directly to the patient’s home and nurses travel to administer the treatment.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Home infusion therapy involves the intravenous or subcutaneous administration of drugs or biologicals to an individual at home.” So, any drug that is administered directly into a patient’s veins or under their skin, in the comfort of the patient’s home, is considered a home infusion treatment.

Only 16% of all infusion therapies are conducted at a patient’s home. However, home infusion is projected to grow over 7% year over year and is attracting heavy investments from private equity firms. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Cost – the average cost of an infusion therapy at a hospital averages between $5,500 – $11,000 while the cost of one home infusion therapy averages just $1,700 – $3,500. This cuts costs for all parties by almost 50%.
2. Demand – with the population of the United States aging and the number of chronic illnesses rising, it is no surprise that easy and effective home infusion therapies are becoming more popular.
3. Easy & Effective – due to the nature of home infusion, patients are much more likely to follow through on treatment plans. This leads to decreased lengths of hospitalizations and decreased rehospitalizations.