Hospira launches VisIV containers for intravenous medications and solutions

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 and approximately 90 percent of all hospital patients receive some form of I.V. therapy. About 15 percent of solid waste produced by hospitals is plastics.

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. 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.