FAQs

The most common type of infusion is intravenous (IV) therapy, which involves the administration of medication directly into the blood stream by a needle or catheter. It is prescribed when medications are not effective when given by an oral route. Common examples of this would be IV antibiotics, certain specialty medications (such as IVIG, Entyvio, Tysabri, etc), or TPN.  

Infusion Solutions is also able to help patients with sub-q injectable medications and tube feeding.   

There are two ways that Infusion Solutions facilitates infusion therapies for patients; the first is home infusion, and the second is infusion at one of our infusion suites.  

When patients are doing home infusion, skilled RN’s train patients to self-administer the medication(s), and we support that therapy with weekly RN visits and 24 hour on-call support as necessary. If you are on IV antibiotics, TPN, hydration, or some other daily therapy, this is generally the path of delivery. 

When patients come into our suites, infusion nurses administer the medications prescribed by your provider. Specialty medications such as IVIG, Entyvio, and Tysabri generally fall into this category. Our suites are conveniently located in Bellingham, Everett, Federal Way, and Olympia. 

The short answer is: no. Home infusion patients are generally taught to self-administer the prescribed medications. A nurse usually visits your home once or twice weekly, depending on your therapy. During those weekly visits, the nurse will perform weekly dressing changes, draw physician-ordered labs, and monitor your access site for any problems. Between these visits, patients have 24/7 on-call service should anything out of the ordinary come up. 

For your first dose (either in your home or in our infusion suites), your nurse will educate you on how to administer your own infusion therapy, and make sure you are comfortable and confident in your ability to perform all the necessary tasks.    

We strive for continuity of care, and do our best to match the right patients up with the right RN’s. Whenever possible, we try to keep these patient/RN relationships intact if things are going well. Occasionally, you may see a different RN, but just know that every one of our nurses is highly trained, extremely profession, competent, and able to care for you in the best way!  

No! It is always our priority to accommodate your lifestyle, and we will do everything we can to help you maintain your level of activity.  Most infusion pumps are ambulatory; this means you can carry them with you in a backpack or fanny-pack.  There are many types of infusion therapies, and our staff will talk you through any limitations of your particular therapy.  Let us know what your expectations are, and we will help come up with solutions to make your infusion experience as convenient as possible. 

Virtually every insurer (commercial, Medicare, Medicaid) covers home infusion to some extent, but every insurance plan is different.  Our reimbursement team will always check with your insurance company to find out what they cover, and we will tell you before your therapy begins if you are responsible for payment, and what the estimated out of pocket cost will be. 

The answer is: yes…but not fully. Medicare will cover some therapies–like chemotherapy, tube feeding, or TPN—but patients must meet Medicare criteria and guidelines. Our team is familiar with this process, and we will be able to quickly determine if Medicare covers your particular infusion need.  

Medicare does not fully cover commonly prescribed infusions such as IV antibiotics and hydration. In these cases, all out-of-pocket expenses will be determined prior to the initiation of therapy so patients can make a choice about how to best move forward. 

In order for Medicare to improve coverage for its constituents, Congress needs to pass a bill. Many such bills have been proposed, but to date, none have passed. Our CEO is actively engaging with congressional leaders to expand this coverage. If you are so inclined, reach out to your local representative or senator and ask them to advocate for better infusion coverage for Medicare patients.  

Almost all home infusion patients are able to travel.  You need to make sure you have all necessary supplies for the length of your travel, and access to medical care if you need it while you are away.  Always check with an Infusion Solutions pharmacist or nurse when planning a trip and we will do everything we can to accommodate you. 

We serve patients up and down the I-5 corridor of western Washington, from Olympia to Bellingham. If you live outside of that service territory, we may be able to help on a case-by-case basis, depending on the infusion needed and insurance involved. Please call the office at 360-933-4892 to see if we can be of help! 

Click here to see our “Service Area Map”.

Our clinical infusion pharmacists will always obtain a complete medication and allergy history before starting your therapy, and make sure your treatment is safe and will not interfere with your medications.  If the pharmacist notices any medications or allergies that may cause an increased risk to you, he or she will notify your physician immediately with a recommendation. The pharmacist will make sure you understand your therapy and you will have the opportunity to speak directly with the pharmacist with any questions or concerns you may have. 

Generally, we deliver medications and supplies to your door weekly in conjunction with a nursing visit. If your nurse is not delivering the supplies directly, we use our own internal team of drivers, or third-party shippers such as Fed-Ex or UPS to deliver.  

We do our best to track your usage so we can anticipate your needs.  However, to ensure that you don’t run out of your medications or supplies, please call us and let us know if you are running low on anything.  We request that you give us a few days notice so we can prepare your order and schedule a delivery that is convenient for you. 

For any life-threatening emergency, call 911. Other than that, Infusion Solutions is available to you 24/7 to answer any questions about your therapy, your access line, and your infusion pump (if needed).  Contact your nurse or pharmacist at (360) 933-4892 if there is a problem with your equipment, or if you have questions about how to administer your therapy.  There may be some instances where you should call your physician, and we will help guide you in these situations. 

Call our regular office number, (360) 933-4892.  Our answering service will contact the nurse or pharmacist on call, who will call you back within 15 minutes to assist you. We are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.