LAKE FOREST, Ill., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hospira, Inc. , 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 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.
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.
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)
(i) Practice Greenhealth; http://cms.h2e-online.org/ee/waste-reduction/waste-minimization/textile/reusedispose/
(iii) Tieszen, J., Gruenberg, J. A Quantitative, Qualitative, & Critical Assessment of Surgical Waste, JAMA 267 (20) 2765- 2768. 1992.
(v) Data on file. Waste reduction design comparisons. Hospira, Inc.
CONTACT: Media, Daniel Rosenberg, +1-224-212-3366, or Financial Community,
Karen King, +1-224-212-2711, both of Hospira
Web site: http://www.hospira.com/
