Hospice leaders at the meeting described operational barriers that have limited their ability to provide IV medications in patients’ homes and outlined plans to address the problem.

Joe, a hospice clinical leader, said the hospice’s planned in‑house pharmacy has been delayed by construction issues but that he expects the service to proceed early next year. "We should have been up and running by now... it's been delayed, hopefully no later than the beginning of the year," Joe said. He said compounding pharmacies that previously supplied prefilled infusions for the home setting are increasingly unavailable, and that shortage has forced hospices to consider running their own compounding pharmacy to supply CAD pumps and other home infusion needs.

Participants described difficulty sourcing compounded IV opioids and compatible IV medication supplies for use with controlled‑administration dose (CAD) pumps at home; one member said the group needs a policy and safety criteria so hospices can supply such care only to appropriately screened patients. Joe added that the hospice has purchased simulation equipment for ultrasound‑guided midline placement and intends to provide training, but that the program will be delayed by staff availability and is not expected to be widely operational until early next year.

Why it matters: For certain palliative and hospice patients, home IV medications and reliable compounding services enable symptom control without hospital readmission. The committee’s plan to create an in‑house pharmacy and a training pathway for midline placement is intended to expand clinical capacity; however, supply‑chain limits and staffing constraints remain obstacles.

Next steps: Joe will provide updates on pharmacy readiness and midline training timelines at future meetings; committee members suggested documenting the hospice’s model so other agencies can adopt similar processes.

Provenance: Home‑IV and pharmacy discussion begins at 00:44:21 and continues through 00:46:50. Topic introduction excerpt: "We should have been up and running by now..." (00:44:21). Topic finish excerpt: "...I'll let you guys know next time." (00:46:50).