AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 17, 2016 — Patients are more likely to receive the appropriate type of home nutrition therapy when their care includes management by registered dietitians, suggests a study being presented at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week meeting today in Austin.

Nutrition therapy patients receiving home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (HPN) were transitioned to home enteral (through a feeding tube) nutrition (HEN) or to an oral diet sooner due to the registered dietitians’ expertise and adherence to A.S.P.E.N. guidelines, researchers found. Patients with a variety of health conditions require nutrition support: the guidelines generally recommend HPN for patients whose gastrointestinal (G.I.) systems aren’t functioning, and HEN for those whose G.I. systems are functioning, but who may have other problems that interfere with eating, such as the inability to swallow. HEN is preferable whenever possible because it is more similar to how the body naturally receives nutrition.

Patients prescribed HPN should transition to HEN or an oral diet as soon as their G.I. systems are functioning, the guidelines note. HPN not only costs more, but the risk of infection is significantly higher compared to HEN. Nutrition order writing can be managed by a physician, registered dietitian or be a collaboration of the two. As the percentage of patients whose care was managed by registered dietitians increased during the five-year study, the average number of days patients received HPN decreased, suggesting patients transitioned off HPN earlier, as guidelines recommend, researchers found.

“Clearly, home nutrition patients benefit from care provided by a dietitian-led nutrition support team,” said Kelly Kinnare, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, nutrition services manager for Option Care. “Physicians are busy and recognize the expertise dietitians provide and therefore increasingly are putting the nutrition order writing and weaning recommendations in our hands. “

The study included 505 patients who were started on HPN between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2014. During that time period, the percentage of patients whose care was managed by a registered dietitian increased 18 percent (from 75 percent to 91 percent) and the average number of days a patient received HPN decreased by 33 percent (from 128.7 days to 86.5 days).

“HPN is more invasive, presents with serious complications, and is significantly more expensive than HEN therefore should only be utilized when appropriate,” said Noreen Luszcz, RD, MBA, CNSC, nutrition program director for Option Care. “While HEN costs about $500 a month per patient, HPN is 10 times as expensive, costing about $5,000 a month. “

In this study the average length of HPN therapy decreased by 42 days per patient with increased dietitian management. Every patient on HPN 42 less days equates to a $7000 in healthcare savings which does not include the savings from the elimination of potential line infections and other complications associated with HPN.

Option Care’s Nutrition Support Program follows a multidisciplinary team approach to care including infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians certified in nutrition support who work closely with physicians to provide quality care to HPN and HEN patients. The program includes a registered dietitian at every one of its 92 infusion pharmacies.

Patients are prescribed HPN or HEN because they cannot meet their nutrition needs orally due to conditions such as cancer, stroke, gastrointestinal disease or surgical complications. Both therapies can be temporarily administered in the hospital, however about 40,000 HPN patients and 344,000 HEN patients annually receive their nutrition therapy safely and with less cost at home avoiding the risk of exposure to hospital-acquired infections, returning to work and living active lives. Although some people receive these therapies short term many are on for a longer period and some lifelong.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc., offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

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Media Contact Information

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com

AUSTIN, Texas — Option Care’s local dietitian-led Nutrition Support Team improves the care of patients receiving nutrition therapy at home and saves millions in costs by preventing hospitalization, according to a study being presented at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week meeting today in Austin.

The study tracked the times that Option Care clinicians proactively identified one of four types of therapy complications for patients receiving home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (HPN) and home enteral (through a feeding tube) nutrition (HEN). In each case, the team worked with the patient’s physician to correct the issue.

“Our findings demonstrate that Option Care‘s unique tools and processes help our clinicians detect complications early and intervene before they become bigger problems and lead to hospitalization,” Noreen Luszcz, RD, MBA, CNSC, Nutrition Program Director for Option Care. “Even though we analyzed only a few of the typical clinical interventions performed over a six-month period, we found significant benefits to our high-touch clinical support.”

The study includes data collected by 63 Option Care dietitians on 124 HPN and 126 HEN patients between Feb. 1 and July 31, 2015. Following Option Care’s close monitoring system to identify issues and react proactively, the teams performed 390 clinical interventions. During that time period, half of HPN patients were hospitalized at least once (20 percent nutrition-related, 12 patients) and 33 percent of HEN patients were hospitalized at least once (9 percent nutrition-related, 4 patients). However, the number of nutrition-related hospitalizations would have been significantly higher without close monitoring by the multidisciplinary team and proactive response, researchers note. They estimated that the interventions resulted in 957 hospital days avoided and therefore more than $1.9 million in savings.

The study tracked when the clinicians intervened to:

• Manage electrolyte imbalance (levels of chemicals that help with muscle and other vital body functions)
• Manage hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, which can cause a variety of symptoms, including weakness and confusion)
• Prevent dehydration (which can cause seizures, altered mental status and kidney impairment)
• Reduce or eliminate diarrhea (which can lead to dehydration)

“Many of these patients have complicated conditions and the nutrition therapies they receive are increasingly complex,” said Luszcz. “We’ve worked tirelessly to develop effective ways of closely monitoring them to ensure complications are identified early and remedied quickly.”

Option Care’s Nutrition Support Program follows a multidisciplinary team approach to care including infusion nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians certified in nutrition support who work closely with physicians to provide quality care to HPN and HEN patients. The program includes a registered dietitian at every one of its 92 infusion pharmacies.

Patients are prescribed HPN or HEN because they cannot meet their nutrition needs orally due to conditions such as cancer, stroke, gastrointestinal disease, or surgical complications. Both therapies can be temporarily administered in the hospital, however, about 40,000 HPN patients and 344,000 HEN patients annually receive their nutrition therapy safely and with less cost at home avoiding the risk of exposure to hospital-acquired infections, returning to work, and living active lives. Although some people receive these therapies short-term many are on for a longer period and some lifelong.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc., offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic, and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

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Media Contact Information

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com

Option Care Selected as Provider of First-of-its-Kind Digestion-Improving Product for Patients with Complex Medical Conditions Requiring Nutritional Support

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Option Care Enterprises, Inc., a leading national provider of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, has been selected as the contracted provider of RELiZORB™ (immobilized lipase), which helps patients with complex medical conditions digest and absorb the “essential fats “ they receive through enteral nutrition (tube feeding). Relizorb is manufactured by Alcresta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

What is RELiZORB™

Recently approved as a de novo device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Relizorb is a first-of-its-kind digestive enzyme cartridge designed to mimic the normal pancreatic function by breaking down fats in enteral tube feeding formula. By breaking down these fats prior to ingestion, Relizorb allows for the delivery of increased absorbable calories from fatty acids and monoglycerides to adults who are partially or completely unable to breakdown and absorb fats. Relizorb has been shown to break down 90 percent of fats in most enteral feeding tube formulas, including the most difficult to breakdown long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are critical for growth and development.

“We’re so pleased to be chosen to provide such an innovative product, which we believe can improve the quality of life for patients in need of nutrition therapy, “ said Kimberly Petruccelli, PharmD, MBA, clinical program manager of specialty infusion programs for Option Care. “Our registered dietitians have extensive experience and expertise caring for patients in need of complex therapies, including enteral nutrition, and can ensure they receive the highest level of care. “

Option Care & RELiZORB™

Option Care was selected to provide and support the administration of Relizorb due to its ability to deliver individualized treatment through its Nutrition Support Program, which follows a multidisciplinary patient care team approach and includes a registered dietitian at every one of its branches. One of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has the capability to provide safe, effective nutrition care for patients nationwide through its 92 infusion pharmacies.

“Option Care will play a key role in bringing Relizorb to patients through its dietitian-led patient care teams, “ said John Tucker, chief executive officer of Alcresta. “The company is an ideal partner because of its proven track record of providing high-quality care and its national presence with patients, payers and providers. “

“Option Care is honored to have been selected by Alcresta as the Relizorb provider of choice, and we’re committed to making this product an accessible option for patients, providers and payers, “ said Matthew Deans, vice president of business development for Option Care. “We believe that in developing customized clinical management programs in partnership with biopharmaceutical manufacturers, we can increase patient access to novel therapies. It’s our priority that patients receive the full therapeutic benefit of the treatment, which can lead to increased satisfaction, improved outcomes and lower total cost of care. “

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc., offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

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Media Contact Information

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Sixty-three percent of patients with short bowel syndrome who took teduglutide (TED) to enhance gastrointestinal absorption were able to reduce their parenteral support (PS), according to a study[*]Petruccelli K, Youssef N, Li B, Curry K. Teduglutide treatment in adult patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS): initial clinical experience of management through a specialized infusion pharmacy (SIP) service. Poster session presented at: the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 80th Annual Scientific Meeting; 2015 Oct 16-21; Honolulu, HI. presented by Option Care Enterprise, Inc. this weekend at the 2015 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting in Honolulu.

Option Care, one of the nation’s largest infusion services companies, presented “Teduglutide Treatment in Adult Patients with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS): Initial Clinical Experience of Management through a Specialized Infusion Pharmacy (SIP) Service.” The poster highlights results of data analysis of the clinical management of teduglutide therapy provided by a specialized infusion pharmacy in the home-care setting.

In the study of 52 patients with short bowel syndrome who received TED, 63 percent attained a 20 percent to 100 percent reduction in PS volume at weeks 20 and 24. TED treatment resulted in additional days off of PS per week for many patients, with 23 (44 percent) gaining one day or more per week off, 20 (38.5 percent) gaining two days or more off and 15 (28.8 percent) gaining three or more days off PS. Nine patients (17.3 percent) gained complete PS independence.[*]Petruccelli K, Youssef N, Li B, Curry K. Teduglutide treatment in adult patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS): initial clinical experience of management through a specialized infusion pharmacy (SIP) service. Poster session presented at: the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 80th Annual Scientific Meeting; 2015 Oct 16-21; Honolulu, HI.  

“These observations confirm the ability of TED to reduce PS dependence in patients with short bowel syndrome treated in a non-trial setting with close monitoring by a multidisciplinary team,” said Kendra Curry, PharmD, Corporate Director, Specialty Infusion Programs with Option Care.

About the American College of Gastroenterology

Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 12,500 individuals from 86 countries. The College’s vision is to be the pre-eminent professional organization that champions the evolving needs of clinicians in the delivery of high quality, evidence-based, and compassionate health care to gastroenterology patients. The mission of the College is to advance world-class care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders through excellence, innovation and advocacy in the areas of scientific investigation, education, prevention and treatment. www.gi.org

About Option Care

Option Care, formerly Walgreens Infusion Services Inc., offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

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Media Contact Information

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com