Home Infusion

Infusion therapy is the administration of medication directly into a vein. This type of therapy can be administered in your home, and it is a safe and effective alternative to being cared for in the hospital.

For many patients, receiving treatment at home is preferable and can be a cost-effective alternative to being in the hospital for an extended period of time or being placed in a nursing home. This form of treatment also allows many patients to continue their normal day-to-day activities.

Medical research reports that when a skilled team of specialists provides home care, patients experience better outcomes. Our expert team of pharmacists and nurses provides various types of infusion therapy, including antibiotics, fluids, nutrition, chemotherapy, pain medication and many others.

What is Home Infusion Therapy?

Infusion therapy involves the administration of medication through a needle or catheter. It is prescribed when a patient’s condition is too severe to be treated effectively by oral medications. Typically, “infusion therapy” means that a drug is administered intravenously, but may also refer to situations where drugs are provided through other non-oral routes, such as intramuscular injections and epidural routes.

“Traditional” prescription drug therapies commonly administered via infusion include:

• Antibiotic
• Antifungal
• Antiviral
• Chemotherapy
• Hydration
• Pain Management
• Parenteral Nutrition

What does a home infusion pharmacy do?

Cumberland Vital Care is a local home infusion pharmacy. It is our responsibility to prepare your medication in a sterile environment, called clean rooms, dispense all necessary supplies needed for administration of your medication, dispose of medical waste and provide professional nursing and pharmacy consultation on the use and monitoring of the medications prescribed by your physician.

What services are normally included with home infusion therapy?

Home infusion therapy is initiated by a prescription from a qualified physician overseeing a patient’s care. Home infusion therapy involves the administration of medication in a patient’s home, by a trained nurse, patient, or family/friends. We provide all necessary supplies and educational materials needed for your type of infusion therapy, such as administration set, IV site dressings, flushes, connectors and etc. Our staff coordinates care with a local home health agency to provide you patient education and nursing care in your home. Our staff routinely follows up with you and the home health agency, by telephone, to determine you understand your therapy, how effective it is being, if more supplies are needed, and if there are any changes that we need to be aware of.

How will I receive my IV medications and supplies?

Vital Care’s delivery specialist will hand deliver your medications and supplies to you. If you will not be available to accept a delivery we can make arrangements to deliver it early, prepare it for pick up or deliver it to an individual authorized by you the patient

Will I have to call every time I need my IV medications?

No, upon receipt of a patient we add them into our weekly calendar with dictations as to when and what needs to be delivered. The frequency of the delivery will depend on the type of therapy being received. When preparing your delivery our experienced staff will determine how much medication and supplies you will need until your next delivery. However, please feel free to contact us if you need extra supplies or if you are wondering when you are scheduled for your next delivery.

Please notify us as soon as possible if any of the following occur:

You have to waste a dose of medication due to leakage, contamination of the sterile port or for any other reason. That way we can adjust the date of your next delivery.
Your doctor informs you he is changing your medication, strength or frequency. Then we can contact your physician to follow up on your orders and make sure we have the most current one.
Your doctor tells you that your therapy is complete.
Your IV access is removed, replaced or a different access is inserted.
You are being admitted to the hospital.
You will be out of any of your supplies before your next scheduled delivery. We anticipate the amount of supplies needed based on type of therapy, frequency of dose and etc., however a situation may arise were you are required to use more supplies than anticipated. Also advise us if you are not using all supplies sent so that quantities can be adjusted.

Will I or someone in my family have to give my medication?

In most situations a nurse from a local home health agency will come to your home and train the individual giving the medication on the proper technique and system for administration. A nurse will always be available if a situation occurs, however most patients can be taught to administer medication safely and effectively

What do I do if I have a question or a problem?

If you have a question or a problem, concerning your infusion please call us at 931-456-0680. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM. If you are calling after normal business hours, there will be or pharmacist on call

What do I do when my treatment has been completed?

When your doctor informs you that your infusion therapy is complete, please contact us so we can follow up with your physician. Your doctor may discontinue your infusion therapy but leave your IV access in place in the event that you need to be started back on therapy. In these situations your IV access will still need to be flushed and redressed. We will continue to provide you with the necessary supplies for you IV maintenance.

Upon completion of your therapy and removal of your IV access we will make arrangements to pick up remaining equipment and supplies. We will also collect any sharp containers or medical waste related to your therapy