




Healthcare Industry News: Lm Technology
News Release - December 4, 2009
Hospira Expands VisIV(TM) Portfolio to Offer Complete Range of Environmentally Friendly I.V. Containers
Containers Now Available in 50 mL and 100 mL Sizes and Include Improved Environmental FeaturesLAKE FOREST, Ill., Dec. 4 (Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network) -- Hospira, Inc. (NYSE: HSP ), a leading global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, today announced the launch of its next-generation 50 mL and 100 mL VisIV(TM) containers for intravenous (I.V.) medications and solutions, and now offers a complete size range (50 mL to 1 L) of the award-winning, environmentally responsible VisIV product. The launch of the 50 mL and 100 mL containers follows the launch of the 250 mL VisIV container in August.
The VisIV line of innovative flexible I.V. containers uses a DEHP-free (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) and non-PVC (polyvinyl chloride) fiLm Technology, eliminating the need for plastic overwrap waste. U.S. hospitals produce at least 6,600 tons of waste each day(i) and approximately 90 percent of all hospital patients receive some form of I.V. therapy.(ii) About 15 percent of solid waste produced by hospitals is plastics.(iii)
The 50 mL, 100 mL and 250 mL containers utilize a two-layer polyolefin film with one type of plastic for increased recyclability compared to the first-generation VisIV container, and 40 to 70 percent less plastic than traditional PVC I.V. containers of the same size. The two-layer film will become available for the 500 mL and 1 L sizes of VisIV in 2010.
"We are very pleased to now offer a complete portfolio of VisIV products to help health systems simultaneously address patient and caregiver safety and waste management," said Thomas Moore, president, Hospira U.S. commercial operations. "The addition of these new VisIV container sizes reinforces Hospira's position as a leading provider of more environmentally friendly medication administration products for all infusion needs."
The VisIV container is the first environmentally responsible large-volume flexible I.V. container to feature a full line of sizes without an overwrap, and the product also offers patient and caregiver safety benefits, such as sterile, virtually impenetrable medication additive port tubes and a flanged port design to help protect against needlesticks. The containers also provide a greater protective area for clinicians as they add medications to the container. The VisIV product line also offers other safety features, such as ergonomic pull rings to prevent touch contamination and superior barcode reading.
"Using VisIV containers in Health Alliance hospitals is a key element of our waste reduction strategy and superior patient care," said Shelly Wiest, director of clinical pharmacy programs for Health Alliance, a network of five hospitals in greater Cincinnati. "All of the VisIV container's innovative features were designed to help improve the safety and efficiency of intravenous medication delivery, so we know we are doing the best for our patients as well as for the environment when we use VisIV."
Hospira introduced the VisIV container in 2006 as a greener alternative to traditional I.V. bags. Approximately 1,400 of the 5,708 hospitals in the United States, or nearly 25 percent, use VisIV for some or most of their I.V. needs, resulting in the elimination of more than 1.4 million pounds of plastic waste since launch.(iv) Should the entire industry follow Hospira's lead and eliminate overwrap from all flexible I.V. containers, more than 20 million pounds of plastic could be eliminated from the U.S. hospital waste stream each year.(v)
About Hospira
Hospira, Inc. is a global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company dedicated to Advancing Wellness(TM). As the world leader in specialty generic injectable pharmaceuticals, Hospira offers one of the broadest portfolios of generic acute-care and oncology injectables, as well as integrated infusion therapy and medication management solutions. Through its products, Hospira helps improve the safety, cost and productivity of patient care. The company is headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., and has approximately 14,000 employees. Learn more at www.hospira.com.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Hospira's goals with respect to future VisIV products. Hospira cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors may affect Hospira and may cause actual results to be materially different from expectations include the risks, uncertainties and factors discussed under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Hospira's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Forms 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are incorporated by reference. Hospira undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as the result of subsequent events or developments.
(i) Practice Greenhealth; http://cms.h2e-online.org/ee/waste-reduction/waste-minimization/textile/reusedispose/
(ii) Higa, Lisa S., "IV Catheters", Infection Control Today, June 2000.
(iii) Tieszen, J., Gruenberg, J. A Quantitative, Qualitative, & Critical Assessment of Surgical Waste, JAMA 267 (20) 2765- 2768. 1992.
(iv) Data on file. Waste reduction design comparisons. Hospira, Inc.
(v) Data on file. Waste reduction design comparisons. Hospira, Inc.
Source: Hospira
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