Council explores barriers to home IV opioid infusions and CAD pump access; pharmacies and infusion companies flagged as part of solution

Council members presented follow-up from a meeting with Department of Consumer Protection staff about access to CAD pumps and IV opioid infusions at home.

DCP staff reportedly told the group they have seen only two or three diversion incidents over many years, which council members said was reassuring but asked for clarification on timing and context. Members identified multiple obstacles to wider home infusion use: infusion companies limiting service geography, provider reluctance, reimbursement structures, and nursing availability to manage pumps and associated care tasks.

A hospice-affiliated pharmacy representative (Joe) told the council his pharmacy is ready to compound and provide services but noted a need for additional staff training; he described plans to train home-care nurses and coordinate inpatient workflows. Council members said they will reach out to Option Care and other infusion companies to better understand service areas and operational constraints.

The council also discussed the limited availability of agencies willing to manage CAD pumps for non-hospice palliative patients and the difference between hospice-managed CAD pumps and other infusion services. Members requested more specific data from DCP about the diversion incidents and asked staff to collect provider-reported barriers for the next meeting.

Next steps: staff will gather clarifying information from DCP about diversion case timing, convene conversations with infusion providers (including Option Care), and ask hospice pharmacy leaders to document training and compounding capacity for future planning.

Source: council discussion during meeting; no formal action taken.