Home infusion services may be your solution if you’re a Medicare beneficiary and need IV medication. These services deliver high-cost, complicated medicines without the need for hospitalization. A technician and a pharmacist provide these services. Learn more about home infusion services. Here’s a brief explanation of how they work. To get started, find out what they are and who uses them. Advanced Home Infusion dispenses medications under the supervision of a pharmacist. Registered nurses coordinate visits with patients. Typically, patients are administered high-cost drugs that require specialized handling and extensive patient training. Medicare and managed care organizations generally refer patients for Advanced Home Infusion.
Home infusion therapy is a safe and effective alternative to receiving intravenous (IV) medications in the hospital.
One of the benefits of home infusion therapy is the cost savings. Studies have shown that patients can save up to $58 per infusion. In addition, fewer hospitalizations are needed, which reduces overall healthcare costs. Home infusion providers should consider factors such as patient history, current physical and mental status, lab reports, cognitive and psychosocial status, and other concurrent prescription and over-the-counter medications.
The main benefit of home infusion therapy is that patients can take a more active role in their care. The familiarity of the patient’s home environment makes home infusion services a more accessible and more comfortable alternative for patients. Additionally, patients can return to their regular routines and attend school or work without worrying about complications. Ultimately, home infusion therapy is an ideal option for many patients.
It is a limited benefit under Medicare.
Medicare has a new benefit for home infusions. The bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 created the temporary home infusion therapy services benefit. This benefit pays for goods and services related to administering Part B-covered therapies. This benefit is only for the first three months of an individual’s life and does not apply to previously covered medicines. This new benefit will be available to beneficiaries with a medical condition that requires infusion therapy.
The Cures Act expanded the definition of “home infusion therapy services supplier” to include home health agencies. However, as of March 2021, fewer than 250 home infusion therapy suppliers are enrolled nationwide. While the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) hoped to recruit nursing agencies to expand the network, fewer than four hundred are participating. The most significant agencies are located in three states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.
A pharmacy provides it.
The purpose of the home infusion guidelines is to define the pharmacist’s role in providing this service. These guidelines explain the minimum requirements and best practices for home infusion care. The pharmacist’s role may include providing complex pharmaceutical products, developing medication therapy plans, clinically assessing patients in the patient’s home, and preparing sterile products. Infusion pharmacies may provide a variety of home infusion services.
There are a variety of regulatory requirements for home infusion pharmacies. These regulations may apply to the pharmacy’s employees as well as to the patients receiving the medications. Home infusion pharmacy personnel should undergo periodic competency assessments to meet regulatory requirements. The evaluation should be based on the position description. Pharmacy staff should demonstrate knowledge of the USP chapter 7978, which describes the standards for compounding. Competency assessments should also address equipment and patient teaching competencies.
A technician delivers it.
A technician delivers home infusion services. The technician provides medications and supplies to the patient’s home, where a nurse or pharmacist monitors them. The nurse will determine whether the medication therapy is working and notify the patient and caregiver if a dose needs to be adjusted. The nurse and pharmacist are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide care. They will also review the patient’s insurance benefits.
A home infusion pharmacy must comply with all state regulations and laws regarding administering sterile preparations. Home infusion pharmacies must maintain written, computerized, and other records to demonstrate compliance with these regulations. They should also follow the guidelines established by the state boards of pharmacy. If a patient has a history of adverse drug events, the pharmacy should document those incidents. This documentation should be easily accessible to the patient.
