For the past 40 years, Option Care has been dedicated to providing quality infusion therapy that makes a positive difference in each patient’s life. Prior to this, patients requiring nutrition support could only receive their infusions at a hospital. When two pharmacists in Chico, California heard about a 19-year-old man enduring 10 hours of nutrition therapy daily, they proposed delivering his treatment in the home, enabling him to lead a more normal life.

As we celebrate our 40^th anniversary, we sat down with Michael Prime, one of Option Care’s founding pharmacists to discuss our history and how serving a single car accident patient, along with his partner, Mitchell Hoggard, launched one of the nation’s leading infusion companies.

OC: Tell me, in your own words, how you discovered the need for home infusion.

MP: There was a young man involved in an automobile accident and through the course of multiple surgeries, he lost most of his bowel, leaving him unable to absorb food orally. My partner was a pharmacist at a hospital in Red Bluff, just north of Chico. This young man was receiving TPN solution there; he required four liters a day, every day — it was a 10-hour infusion. This was just one of those things that (Hoggard) came to me saying that there was this man, sitting in our hospital, getting infusions daily and I think we can provide this in the home.

I didn’t know much about it at the time but thought to myself, why couldn’t we? I was ready to take on the challenge. Shortly afterwards, we spoke with the prescribing physician, getting him to agree that we could provide therapy to the patient once we had the proper license. So we began that long process — (Hoggard) stayed working at the hospital and I happened to own a retail store in downtown Chico — we contacted the insurance agency, found a space for a clean room with a hood to prepare the solution and began taking the work out of the hands of the hospital.

Once that was set up, the patient was released from the hospital and we began delivering solution to his home. Although he was already trained on how to self-infuse, we realized the importance of hiring registered nurses to help support the influx of patients that were being referred to us following this young man’s successful transition to home infusion.

OC: When you and Mr. Hoggard launched the company 40 years ago, did you have any idea that it would become what it is today?

MP: Well, it really was just us doing it; there was no marketing involved. Our infusion treatment in the home started to spread by word of mouth. In fact, the first physician referred another patient of his to our care as well. Eventually, other doctor’s in town began sending us IV antibiotic patients and I had to sell my half of the retail store so I could focus on Option Care full-time.

My partner was the visionary for Option Care. He was the type of person that envisioned what things should look like in the future, whereas I was the one responsible for taking care of the patients. So while I truly never envisioned it growing into what it is today, I believe he operated under the assumption that we could eventually service patients across the country.

OC: It seems like that happened rather quickly because the need for this type of service was so large. When did you finally realize you needed to begin expanding the number of employees at Option Care?

MP: At the beginning, I was not only mixing the therapies in our clean room, but I was traveling to each patient’s home to teach them how to infuse and use their equipment. We started by hiring two nurses who helped support patient care outside of what I could do myself. I was spending about half my time on the road to patient’s homes and delivering their therapy. Often times, staying the night with patients because we were training them or their caregivers on how to infuse the drug, use the pump or change a dressing, which they were nervous to be doing on their own in the beginning, was normal for us.

I loved being able to truly care for our patients. I was able to provide comfort in their ability to safely administer the drug and training on how to keep themselves or their loved one safe. I never wanted to see that change.

Of course, as you continue to grow, some things do need to change. We started being approached by other pharmacists in northern California who had heard about us through word of mouth or listened to us speak at pharmacy conventions. We developed a licensing agreement with them to begin doing business with us. We’d prepare the solution, assist with billing and licensing as well as train them on how to care for the patients like we do. It was at this time that our attorney advised us to begin franchising in order to protect ourselves. This began our nationwide expansion.

OC: Once you began franchising and you took on a more corporate role, how were you able to continue to focus on the quality of patient care?

MP: I became the Corporate Franchise Relations-guy, flying around the country to visit each pharmacy and ensuring they were doing things our way. Through those travels, I was able to serve as a founding member of the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), helping to set the standards for the infusion industry. I eventually served as the president of the organization giving me the ability to update and progress industry standards into the future.

It took me quite a while to get used to serving in a corporate role, to be honest. I feel like I’m a small guy from Chico, a pharmacist and then all of a sudden I was serving in this corporate, franchise public relations role, which was a big shift for me.

OC: Can you tell me how Option Care got its name?

MP: When we started in 1979, we were operating as CliniCare until we began expanding and tried to license our name. That’s when we discovered the name had already been registered by another organization and we couldn’t use it. One of our marketing people came up with the idea of Outpatient Parental Therapy Intravenous On-going Nutrition with Care on the end – O.P.T.I.O.N. Care — as a way to explain exactly what we were as a company.

We eventually changed the name to lose the acronym and just became Option Care in the early 1990’s. With these changes, our logo transformed throughout the years as well.

OC: Since we started with nutrition therapy, I think it’s an interesting fact that we recently became a Gold sponsor of the Oley Foundation. Did you have any involvement with them?

MP: Oh wow, I remember when Oley first started! We had some patients who were actively involved with Oley in the past. I’m glad to hear that Option Care is still staying with its roots after all these years. We were never involved with them during my time at the company so I’m really glad to hear of your commitment to the Oley Foundation and their mission.

Learn more about our nutrition support services and our partnership with the Oley Foundation.

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Jan. 4, 2018 — Option Care Enterprises, Inc., el proveedor independiente de servicios de terapia de infusión en el hogar y en sitios alternativos de tratamiento más grande del país, anunció hoy que su junta directiva ha designado a John C. Rademacher, actual director ejecutivo provisional (CEO) y director de operaciones (COO), como el nuevo director ejecutivo de la compañía, lo cual entrará en efecto inmediatamente.

"Después de haber realizado una extensa búsqueda, la junta de Option Care considera que John es la persona idónea para liderar el crecimiento y continuo éxito de la compañía", dijo Harry Kraemer, presidente ejecutivo de la junta directiva de Option Care. "John aporta a este cargo una vasta experiencia en la industria del cuidado de la salud, así como una profunda perspectiva estratégica y analítica, y demuestra los valores que distinguen a Option Care como el líder en terapias de infusión en el hogar".

“I am honored and excited to be given the responsibility to lead Option Care,” said John Rademacher. “We have such a proud heritage given all the great work over our 35-year history. With our national scale and highly qualified team, we are uniquely positioned as the market leader to continue to deliver high-quality, low-cost care to our patients and drive significant growth.”

Rademacher tiene más de 25 años de experiencia en el área del cuidado de la salud y se ha desempeñado en varias posiciones ejecutivas en reconocidas compañías del cuidado de la salud, entre ellas, Cardinal Health, donde fue presidente y gerente general para la División de cuidado ambulatorio y las Divisiones de servicios nucleares y de farmacia; y en la Corporación Cigna, donde fue presidente de CareAllies y director de operaciones de la compañía CIGNA Behavioral Health.

Acerca de Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is the nation’s largest independent provider of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

Más de 100 personas con ELA han empezado su tratamiento desde la comodidad de su hogar con Option Care y usando Radicava^TM.

BANNOCKBURN, Illinois, 30 de octubre de 2017 – Option Care Enterprises, Inc., the nation’s largest independent provider of home and alternate treatment site infusion therapy services, has partnered with The ALS Association to offer education, support and enhance the quality of life for individuals affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Con la aprobación de RADICAVA^TM (edaravone), la primera opción para el tratamiento de ELA aprobada por el organismo para el Control de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) en más de 20 años, existe hoy una creciente necesidad de contar con acceso a servicios de infusión en el hogar. Option Care está orgulloso de ser un proveedor, contratado a nivel nacional, de terapia de infusión en el hogar con RADICAVA^TM (edaravone), apoyando a la comunidad de personas con ELA al brindarles la capacidad de recibir tratamiento en la comodidad de sus hogares. Ya se han iniciado exitosamente más de 100 programas de tratamiento con Radicava^TM(edaravone). Además, Option Care brinda un programa de apoyo nutricional y terapia enteral, considerados líderes en la industria, para muchos individuos que viven con ELA.

“Option Care applauds The ALS Association’s mission and recognizes their efforts in giving help and hope to those facing the disease,” said John Rademacher, CEO, Option Care. “We look forward to this new partnership with The ALS Association and the ability to be part of providing education, support and services to those living with the disease.”

“We’re deeply grateful for Option Care’s willingness to support our mission of helping people with ALS and their families,” said Calaneet Balas, Executive Vice President of Strategy for The ALS Association. “We’re proud to partner with Option Care as its services are more critical now than ever.”

Acerca de Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at  www.alsa.org.

INFORMACIÓN IMPORTANTE DE SEGURIDAD

Antes de tomar RADICAVA, informe a su proveedor de asistencia médica sobre todas sus afecciones de salud, incluido si:

• have asthma.
• Es alérgico a otros medicamentos.
• Está embarazada o planea hacerlo. No se sabe si RADICAVA puede afectar al feto.
• Está amamantando o planea hacerlo. No se sabe si RADICAVA pasa a la leche materna. Usted y su proveedor de asistencia médica deben decidir si tomará RADICAVA o amamantará.

Informe a su proveedor de asistencia médica todos los medicamentos que toma, incluidos los recetados y los de venta libre, las vitaminas y los suplementos a base de hierbas.

¿Cuáles son los posibles efectos secundarios de RADICAVA?

• RADICAVA puede provocar efectos secundarios graves, entre ellos, reacciones de hipersensibilidad (alérgicas) y reacciones alérgicas al sulfito.
• Se han registrado reacciones de hipersensibilidad en individuos que reciben RADICAVA y pueden producirse después de haber finalizado la infusión.
• RADICAVA contiene bisulfito sódico, un sulfito que puede provocar un tipo de reacción alérgica que puede ser grave y potencialmente mortal. El bisulfito sódico también puede provocar episodios de asma menos graves en algunos individuos. La sensibilidad al sulfito se puede presentar con más frecuencia en individuos que padecen asma que en aquellos que no lo padecen.
• Informe inmediatamente a su proveedor de asistencia médica o vaya a la sala de emergencia más cercana si tiene alguno de los siguientes síntomas: urticaria; inflamación de los labios, la lengua o el rostro; desmayos; dificultad para respirar; respiración sibilante; dificultad para tragar; mareos; prurito o un ataque de asma (en individuos que padecen asma).
• Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects.

Los efectos secundarios más comunes de RADICAVA comprenden hematomas (contusiones), problemas al caminar (trastornos de la marcha) y dolor de cabeza.

Estos no son todos los efectos secundarios posibles de RADICAVA. Llame a su proveedor de asistencia médica para obtener recomendaciones médicas sobre los efectos secundarios. Puede informar los efectos secundarios a Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. al 1-888-292-0058 o a la FDA al 1-800-FDA-1088 o en www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Para obtener más información, incluida la información farmacológica completa y la información para el paciente, visite www.RADICAVA.com.

Calls on Congress to Fix Unintended Consequence of 21st Century Cures Act; Encourages Patients, Families, Others to Join Outreach

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Jan. 23, 2017 — Option Care is working diligently to persuade the U.S. Congress to fix a new law that has caused vulnerable Medicare patients to lose access to home infusion care, and is encouraging those affected to join in advocacy efforts. While promising to help millions of patients via a variety of wide-ranging measures, the new 21st Century Cures Act contains provisions that unintentionally impact patients who need home infusion therapy for advanced heart failure and other conditions.

Option Care is a founding member of Keep My Infusion Care at Home, a coalition of concerned patients, family members, caregivers, healthcare providers and related organizations. The coalition is reaching out to legislators to advocate for a change to the law in order to ensure that Medicare patients have access to high quality home infusion care to support their health and sustain their quality of life.

“Undoubtedly the Cures Act will do great good, but unfortunately some of its smaller provisions have unintended negative consequences, causing disruptions to care as patients transition from hospital to home. That means many Medicare patients no longer have access to home infusion, which provides a safe, effective and typically less costly alternative to inpatient care,” said Paul Mastrapa, CEO, Option Care. “This consequence is particularly poignant for advanced heart failure patients who prefer to receive care at home, but may lose the home infusion care they rely on to sustain their quality of life.”

Many patients with complex health conditions rely on home infusion therapy, which is medication administered through a needle or catheter, and provided in the comfort of their own homes. Heart failure patients who rely on home infusion care to sustain their quality of life may lose that access, forcing them to find alternative treatment options. Hospital systems will suffer as well, as they care for these high-need patients in more costly sites of care than home infusion.

Effective Jan.1, 2017, the Cures Act includes a provision that changed the payment structure for certain infusion drugs under the Part B Durable Medical Equipment (DME) benefit. That created a dramatic reduction in reimbursement that effectively covers only the drug costs and provides no compensation for clinical services to administer the infusion therapy in the home. While a separate provision in the law does provide for clinical services payment, it does not begin until 2021.

Keep My Infusion Care at Home is urging legislators to close this four-year gap in care by aligning the implementation dates for the drug reimbursement change with the new clinical services payment.

In addition to Option Care, Keep My Infusion Care at Home sponsors include the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) and other leading industry providers. For more information, visit KeepMyInfusionCareAtHome.org. Patients and families are encouraged to join the effort by sharing their stories showing how this law affects real patients, and writing their congressmen to encourage them to amend the law. Organizations interested in joining the coalition should email info@keepmyinfusioncareathome.org.

Acerca de Option Care
Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.
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DEERFIELD, Ill. — Option Care, an independent infusion services company, today announced the appointment of Michael H. Shapiro as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Shapiro will lead all aspects of Option Care’s finance, accounting, treasury and M&A functions, working directly with Chief Executive Officer Paul Mastrapa as part of the Option Care executive leadership team.

“Mike brings a wealth of experience and an impressive track record of success within the healthcare industry,” said Mastrapa. “This is a pivotal time for Option Care, and I’m confident that Mike’s leadership will help us capitalize on our position at the forefront of the $14 billion and growing alternate site infusion market.”

Shapiro most recently served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Catamaran Corporation, one of the nation’s leading pharmacy benefits managers. Shapiro joined Catamaran in 2012 as Senior Vice President, Finance and became CFO in 2014, leading the process through which the company was sold to UnitedHealth Group.

Prior to joining Catamaran, Shapiro was Vice President and CFO for Rexnord Corporation, a publicly traded diversified industrial company. Shapiro previously spent 15 years at Baxter International, Inc., a global medical device and biopharmaceutical manufacturer, where he served in various financial leadership positions including Vice President, Finance and Business Development for the Renal Division of Baxter.

“I’m thrilled to join the executive team of a company with such a strong and respected legacy among healthcare providers, patients and the healthcare industry as a whole,” said Shapiro. “This is an exciting time for Option Care and I look forward to helping drive its financial growth and success.”

One of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate site infusion services, Option Care has the ability to serve more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, with 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites in 40 states, and almost 5,000 employees.

Shapiro began his career as an audit professional with Deloitte & Touche and is a Certified Public Accountant. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in Finance and Strategy and a BS in Accounting from Miami University (Ohio).

Acerca de Option Care

Option Care, formerly Walgreens Infusion Services, offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses and pharmacists who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

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Datos de contacto para los medios

Option Care
Bridget Kagan
312-558-1770
BKagan@pcipr.com