The Modern Infusion Nurse
The recipe for making a great nurse has always been knowledge combined with continued experience and a desire to never stop learning. For the modern infusion nurse, the ingredients for this recipe calls for a triple portion of knowledge and a heavy measure of flexibility. Infusion nursing has become a very specialized field in the […]
When Common Infusion Procedures Become Risky
Flushing and locking vascular access devices (VADs) are 2 common procedures performed on patients receiving treatment in infusion centers. Flushing is the act of moving fluids, medications, blood, and blood components out of the VAD to ensure treatment delivery and assess for potency. Locking, on the other hand, is the installation of a solution into […]
Infusion Center Trends & Takeaways from the 2016 Magellan Rx Report
At WeInfuse, we think the annual Magellan Trend Reports are manna from heaven. This year’s report is no different, and it’s full of gold nuggets that prove the physician / provider-based Infusion Center is the optimal site of care providing patients quality, convenient and cost-effective care. Whether you operate a stand-aloneInfusion Center or provide infusions as […]
Take the Confusion Out of Infusion Orders
As nurses, we want it to be correct! It must be clear, concise, comprehensive and complete. There are many new innovative technologies that have evolved over the years to improve both the accuracy and ease of prescribing medications. Electronic scripts, E-Prescribing, EMR’s and pharmacy automation systems have greatly improved a medical provider’s ability to prescribe […]
Infusion Medication Monitoring Considerations
I have visited many practices and Infusion Centers that have gone to great lengths to protect their facilities from would be intruders – installing special locks, key fobs, and various alarm and surveillance equipment. While it is important to physically secure items in your facilities, theft of property is not what should keep most of […]
Considerations for Opening an In-Office Infusion Center
If you work in a physician-based practice and have been thinking about opening an in-office infusion center for your patients we wrote this post especially for you. Deciding to open an Infusion Center is not the same as deciding to offer vaccines, sonograms, or many other ancillary services. Infusion requires careful consideration and commitment, so […]
Is Your Infusion Center Leaking Cash?
In the past few months, I have asked practices and practice managers all over the country to do a simple test to see if their in-office Infusion Centers are leaking money. I ask them to secretly remove a single vial of expensive medication from their inventory and then see how long it takes someone on […]
Buying or Upgrading your Infusion Center Refrigerator
When was the last time you did the math on the dollars worth of infusion medication inventory in your practice? If you’re like most providers, you likely have 10’s to 100’s of thousands of dollars of temperature controlled inventory occupying the very small and fragile square footage of your infusion center refrigerator. In this post, […]
“Specialty Pharmacy Only” in your Infusion Center
In previous posts, we have discussed the merits of both Buy&Bill and Specialty Pharmacy inventory strategies for your office Infusion Center. If you missed our previous writings, you should take a moment to read our previous posts for some context To Buy&Bill or not to Buy&Bill and Specialty Pharmacy is your friend. If you are brand new […]
Specialty Pharmacy is your friend…sometimes
I have a “like” (never love) and “hate” relationship with Specialty Pharmacies. Likewise, there are infusion providers that wouldn’t accept a Specialty Pharmacy shipment under any condition and others who wouldn’t Buy&Bill a medication if it cost more than $20 a vial. Our last post provided a brief overview of both Buy&Bill and Specialty Pharmacy […]