Baxa Corporation Introduces New Enteral Dispensers to Prevent Tubing Misconnections

Englewood, Colo. – Baxa Corporation announces the launch of the first medication dispensers designed only for enteral feeding at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting held this week in Anaheim, California. The new Baxa Exacta-Med® Enteral Dispensers feature a unique dispenser tip that cannot connect to a luer needle or needleless IV system. Their distinctive enteral marking, orange lettering and stripe coordinate with enteral tube sets; making them the safe choice for enteral fluid drug delivery, particularly in pediatric and neonatal applications where the majority of the oral and enteral doses are provided through a gastric tube.

On April 3, 2006, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) issued a Sentinel Event Alert warning of the significant risk posed by ‘tubing and catheter misconnection errors.’ In the Alert, JCAHO states that a standard luer syringe should “never” be used for oral medications or enteral feedings.

According to Katie Calabrese, neonatal nurse practitioner and Baxa product manager, “In addition to JCAHO, the UK National Health Service and the US Institute for Safe Medication Practice, among other recognized authorities, recommend the use of specialty dispensers for all oral liquid doses. Adding the distinctive coloring to the product further differentiates it for enteral applications only.” The new Exacta-Med Dispensers, available in 20, 35 and 60 mL sizes, are individually packaged to reduce the opportunity for contamination prior to filling and administration.

Baxa enteral dispensers are syringe-like devices with a non-luer tip that will not accept a hypodermic needle or actuate a needless IV access port. They are designed specifically to provide safe and accurate delivery of enteral liquids, reducing the possibility of wrong-route administration through a patient’s IV or epidural line.

Baxa Corporation introduced the Exacta-Med Oral Dispenser in 1975. Latex-free Baxa enteral dispensers fit the needs of pharmacy, nursing and outpatient caregivers for safe medication administration. The wider tip design of the Exacta-Med Dispensers was developed in cooperation with representatives and customers from large children’s hospitals.

Baxa focuses on providing technology to health-system pharmacies that improves patient safety, reduces the risk of medication errors and facilitates compliance to USP, JCAHO and other regulatory requirements.

About Baxa Corporation

Baxa, a customer-focused medical device company, provides innovative, solution-based technologies for fluid handling and delivery. Its systems and devices promote the safe and efficient preparation, handling, packaging, and administration of fluid medications. Key products include Rapid-Fill™ Automated Syringe Fillers, Exacta-Med® Oral Dispensers, MicroFuse® Syringe Infusers, Repeater™ Pharmacy Pumps, and Exacta-Mix™ and MicroMacro™ Multi-Source Automated Compounders; used worldwide in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Privately held, Baxa Corporation has subsidiaries and sales offices in Canada and the United Kingdom; direct representation in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands; and distribution partners worldwide. Further information is available at http://www.baxa.com.

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Contacts:

Marian Robinson, Vice President, Marketing
Baxa Corporation: 800.567.2292 ext. 2157 or 303.617.2157
Email: marian.robinson@baxa.com
http://www.baxa.com

Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR
Absolutely Public Relations: 303.984.9801 or 303.669.3558
Email: maggie@absolutelypr.com
http://www.absolutelypr.com