Smiths Medical awarded threeyear contract to supply implantable access systems across the United Sta

SMITHS Medical, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, today announces that it has been awarded a three-year contract with US group purchasing organisation Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, to supply its PORT-A-CATH® implantable access systems to Premier’s 1,700 hospitals and more than 49,000 other healthcare sites across the United States. 

The contract follows on from a separate multi-million dollar award from Premier for Smiths Medical’s safety catheters earlier this year.  Premier, one of the largest group purchasing organisations in the United States, has also awarded Smiths Medical contracts for its CADD® ambulatory infusion pumps and tubing sets, and GRIPPER® and GRIPPER PLUS® safety huber needles. 

Smiths Medical’s PORT-A-CATH® implantable access systems provide a route of delivery for patients requiring long-term medications such as chemotherapy.  The ports can be placed in many areas throughout the body including the chest and arm, and include a portal that is inserted under the skin and connected to a catheter that threads into a vein. 

PORT-A-CATH systems have been implanted in millions of people worldwide since their introduction over 25 years ago.

Srini Seshadri, Group Managing Director of Smiths Medical, said: “We are very pleased that our PORT-A-CATH® systems will now be available to Premier facilities and we are confident that Premier will discover the same proven performance of Smiths Medical portal access systems that millions of other customers around the world have come to trust.”

Smiths Medical offers over 40 different types and sizes of systems to meet the needs of a wide range of therapies and patient sizes.  With millions of systems implanted worldwide, Smiths Medical’s PORT-A-CATH®, P.A.S. PORT®, and ProPort® systems are recognised for their proven performance of easy insertions and easy maintenance during therapies. 

ENDS

Premier
Premier is a 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient.  Serving 1,700 hospitals and more than 49,000 other healthcare sites, Premier is the largest healthcare alliance in the United States dedicated to improving patient outcomes while safely reducing the cost of care. Owned by not-for-profit hospitals, Premier operates one of the nation's largest healthcare purchasing networks, the most comprehensive repository of hospital clinical and financial information and one of the largest policy-holder owned, hospital professional liability risk-retention groups in healthcare. Headquartered in San Diego, Premier has offices in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, and Washington. For more information, visit www.premierinc.com.