OptumRx is becoming the first major pharmacy care services company to introduce fully sustainable medication packaging that replaces polystyrene, or foam. The new packaging delivers temperature-sensitive specialty and maintenance prescriptions to consumers' homes while ensuring the safety and quality of the medication remain intact.
Eliminating foam commonly used in medication home delivery is part of the company's effort to ensure all packaging used in OptumRx home delivery facilities is recyclable. The new packaging is made from 100-percent renewable cotton and is biodegradable, compostable, reusable and recyclable. By using the new packaging to deliver approximately 4 million prescriptions each year, OptumRx projects annual savings of:
- Nearly 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide;
- 17 million gallons of water; and
- 4 million kilowatt hours of energy.
Safeguarding medications during home delivery is vital. Many medications, including specialty prescriptions, must be kept within strict temperature ranges to arrive safely and undamaged at their destinations.
"At OptumRx, our priority is ensuring people get the high-quality medications they need, when they need them," said Jon Mahrt, chief of operations at OptumRx. "Our new packaging ensures each shipment maintains the highest standard of quality and effectiveness, while reducing the environmental footprint of our medication home delivery services."
OptumRx provides convenient medication home delivery, in addition to specialty pharmacy and infusion services through BriovaRx, to consumers and clients in 53 facilities across the United States. By simplifying prescription fills and providing a long-term supply of maintenance medications, OptumRx home delivery is a convenient, safe and cost-effective option. Through fast and efficient fulfillment, along with 24/7 pharmacist availability, home delivery makes it easier for consumers to adhere to their treatment regimen, a critical step in medication management that is linked to better health outcomes.
New OptumRx packaging delivers temperature-sensitive specialty and maintenance prescriptions to consumers' homes while ensuring the safety and quality of the medication remain intact.
About OptumRx
OptumRx is a pharmacy care services company helping clients and more than 65 million members achieve better health outcomes and lower overall costs through innovative prescription drug benefit services, including network claims processing, clinical programs, formulary management and specialty pharmacy care. Through expertise, flexible technology and a network of over 67,000 community pharmacies and state-of-the-art home delivery pharmacies, OptumRx is putting patients at the center of the pharmacy experience and making health care more connected and less fragmented — ensuring patients get the right medication at the right time at the best cost. OptumRx is part of Optum®, a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to making the health system work better for everyone. For more information, visit optum.com/optumrx or follow @OptumRx on Twitter.
About Optum
Optum is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. With more than 135,000 people worldwide, Optum delivers intelligent, integrated solutions that help to modernize the health system and improve overall population health. Optum is part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH). For more information, visit www.optum.com.
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