MOSES LAKE - Columbia Basin residents now have another option when it comes to seeking infusion therapy services.

Walgreens representatives announced Tuesday the opening of their Moses Lake infusion suite.

According to Angie Wakefield, general manager for Infusion Services at Walgreens, construction for the new infusion suite was added to the existing Moses Lake store in October. Patients are now being accepted.

Infusion therapy is the administration of medications or nutrients directly into the body through a blood vessel, under the skin or into a muscle, according to the Walgreens web page.

Since it is now possible to safely infuse many medications outside of a hospital or outpatient clinic setting, Walgreens provides infusion services to patients in their home or at a Walgreens alternate treatment site.

Walgreens infusion therapy services support a variety of conditions including cancer, Crohn's disease, hemophilia, bleeding disorders and immune deficiencies.

Wakefield said Walgreens officials decided to offer infusion therapy in Moses Lake because patients in the area didn't have immediate access to those services.

"People are getting infusion services out of Spokane and even Wenatchee," she said. "There's nothing really local, so we though it would be a great idea to merge with the Walgreens retail store and put in an alternate treatment suite here."

The Moses Lake store is the sixth Walgreens location to offer infusion therapy in Washington. Services are also available in Bellingham, Everett, Kennewick, Seattle and Spokane, according to the store's infusion therapy web page. Although Walgreens doesn't have an infusion office in every state yet, Wakefield said the company currently serves about 84 to 86 percent of the nation.

Infusion therapy services at the Moses Lake Walgreens are an extension of the company's Spokane office, said Wakefield. Walgreens operates a standalone infusion therapy office there, complete with specialized nurses, dietitians and pharmacy technicians, she said.

The Spokane office will handle all patient referrals for the Moses Lake infusion suite, she said.

Wakefield said patients can choose to get their treatment at the Walgreens infusion therapy suite during regular business hours or opt to receive home visits.

Home visits are available even outside regular business hours in order to accommodate patients, said Wakefield.

"Whether it's weekends, holidays or evenings when they get home from work," she said. "We make it as convenient as we can for them."

She said patients do not have to be considered home bound in order to qualify for home visits. Walgreens nurses are trained specifically for infusion care, said Wakefield.

Wakefield said she hopes area residents see infusion therapy at Walgreens as a convenient and cost-effective alternative to similar services at hospitals and outpatient centers.

"We want to help patients receive excellent service and care inside the convenience of their own home," she said.

For more information on Walgreens infusion services, visit www.WalgreensHealth.com.