Case Study: Non-PVC Products
2006 Case Study
Baxter offers more than 300 intravenous (IV) medications, parenteral nutrition solutions, injectable drugs, biopharmaceuticals, access systems, administration devices and other products that use or are contained in non-PVC (non-polyvinyl chloride) or non-DEHP [di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate] materials. In the United States, hospital customers can meet approximately 50 percent of their needs with non-PVC or non-DEHP products from Baxter's portfolio. This is an area of rapid growth for Baxter, and the company should soon have the broadest non-PVC and non-DEHP product portfolio of any manufacturer.
These products offer a variety of potential customer benefits:
- Safety – Limiting DEHP exposure in potentially at-risk patients is recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics;
- Drug compatibility – Some drugs are incompatible with traditional PVC containers;
- Reducing use of glass – These products often provide an alternative to glass containers, which are less convenient to use, more costly to dispose of, and prone to breakage;
- Physical properties – Non-PVC bags are required for storage of frozen premixed drugs; and
- Customer requirements – Some customers prefer or require non-PVC products.
Expanding this portfolio further in 2006, Baxter launched the AVIVA container system with a select group of customers. AVIVA is a premium line of IV containers that has similar functionality and benefits as the company's VIAFLEX container systems but are made of non-PVC film, contain no latex and offer a DEHP-free fluid pathway to patients. The line includes the most commonly used IV solutions and is complemented by a broad offering of non-DEHP IV administration sets.
AVIVA containers are designed to better accommodate certain newer therapies that are more complex and have the potential to be incompatible with existing container technology. The product also helps clinicians better meet the needs of sensitive populations, such as neonatal, pediatric and oncology patients.
The product has environmental benefits as well:
- Reduced weight – For example, the 1 liter container and its protective overpouch used in transport will weigh 26 percent less than the products it replaces, reducing materials use as well as transport and disposal costs.
- More efficient packaging – Baxter reconfigured the packaging to fit 40 containers in a standard box, compared to 36 for alternative products. This reduces packaging waste, a significant concern for hospitals.
- Carbon neutral manufacturing – Baxter purchased renewable energy certificates to offset one hundred percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the electricity used to manufacture AVIVA, preventing more than 11,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the earth’s atmosphere over a 3-year period. The product carries the Green-e environmental label.
- In case the product is improperly incinerated at end-of-life, AVIVA containers burn cleanly compared to the products they replace, which reduces environmental pollutants.
Baxter anticipates broader availability of the AVIVA product line in 2007.
Baxter U.S. Medication Delivery
