Exploring IV Infusion Services in Urgent Care
October 25, 2024
Among the handful of capabilities that differentiate urgent care from other convenience-based healthcare is the availability of IV treatments. Interestingly, trends in health and wellness have opened up more possibilities for these kinds of services — particularly because of social media.
And the SEO data backs this up. “Can urgent care give IV fluids” currently averages 1,300 searches a month — though some of them could be coming from urgent care professionals. It’s probably only patients who would search for “does urgent care give IV fluids” or “urgent care with IV fluids near me,” both of which average 800 searches a month.
That doesn’t mean that every type of IV offering will be appropriate for your community or your business model. Alan Ayers, President of Urgent Care Consultants, shared with us five ways IVs are being administered in urgent care, along with some clinical and business considerations for each.
Read on for pros and cons of these five types of IV offerings and tips for overcoming the challenges related to adding these to your practice.
The most common use of IV infusions in urgent care is for rehydration with saline fluids during routine medical visits. Patients presenting with dehydration from illness or fluid loss can also benefit from receiving an infusion during their visit. According to Ayers, routine hydration IV infusions are within the capabilities of daily operations for most clinics — and UCA considers this treatment a defining feature of urgent care.
However, as noted in Ayers’s JUCM article, “In streamlining operations, centers may feel compelled to avoid staffing limitations like needing a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, certified medical assistant, or physician to deliver the IV service. At the same time, they might not have the capacity to manage lengthy observation times, adverse events, and dealing with a higher acuity level. Others don’t have the volume required to generate enough profit from the occasional IV infusion.”
IV infusions for hangover recovery have gained popularity, especially in cities known for their nightlife like Las Vegas and Miami. These services are often marketed similarly to wellness treatments and are available through mobile services and in-home hydration providers like Drip Hydration. These treatments are typically cash-based, charging around $150-200 per visit, which can be either a pro or a con depending on your business and community. But while the IV infusion of fluids can help with dehydration, it does not counteract all hangover symptoms — meaning you have to be careful about how you market this and be aware that patients may find this too ineffective for the cost.
Off-label ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic and pain reliever, is showing up in urgent care for its purported ability to stimulate brain activity and treat certain behavioral health disorders. This controversial cash-based service is offered at a rate of approximately $350 per session. However, ketamine is not FDA-approved for psychiatric disorders, and providing it without proper medical monitoring can pose serious risks. Clinics offering this service should consider marketing it as a separate business to avoid confusing their urgent care brand.
Ayers notes that the fiscal viability of this service is hard to evaluate. Not only do you need a physician with experience using off-label ketamine — and a relationship with a specialty pharmacy — the competition of specialty clinics can make it difficult to attract enough patients to justify the service. “Though some clinics have found success, operators should cautiously consider their goals and demand in their community before undertaking this expansion.”
Designer IV cocktails, popularized by social media influencers, offer a mix of vitamins and minerals usually aimed at either boosting brain power or enhancing beauty. These treatments are typically cash-based, costing around $150-200 per infusion. However, the business model is questionable as many consumers may not be willing to spend on such services regularly. Additionally, without an evidence-based clinical rationale, urgent care operators could face legal risks.
As Ayers states, “Ultimately, the novelty of this category of IV treatment is the driving force for demand, and urgent care operators should be wary of this fleeting trend, especially when it detracts marketing dollars and operational staff from the core illness and injury business.”
Every year, drug companies create new medications that need to be given through an IV, like risankizumab-rzaa (Skyrizi) or eptinezumab-jjmr (Vyepti). Many of these need to be given regularly, like every month or every few months.
Urgent care providers usually don’t prescribe these IV medications — instead, a patient’s primary doctor or specialist writes the prescription and sends the patient to urgent care for the infusion. Urgent care centers are great places to give these medications because they are open in the evenings and on weekends, have the necessary equipment, and are close to patients. The idea is to turn urgent care centers into “infusion centers” as a convenient alternative to hospitals or other specialized infusion centers.
As the demand for IV infusion therapies continues to grow, urgent care centers have the opportunity to expand their services. However, it’s crucial to carefully consider the clinical and business implications of each type of infusion service. There are also some practical challenges to becoming an infusion center. These tips can help you navigate many of those.
For definitions and CPT codes used for infusion and injection billing, refer to Ayers’s JUCM article Which IV Infusion Services are Most Appropriate for Urgent Care?
As the number of IV infusion therapies continues to grow, this is a potentially profitable avenue for urgent care operators to explore. For patients who need recurring infusions, urgent care’s convenience and efficiency is an attractive option.
If you’re trying to continually improve your business — be it through staffing, training, reporting, process updates, best practices, modern technology, or strategies for growth — Urgent Care Connect (UCC) has something for everyone. Together we aim to solve the most pressing challenges and prepare for new trends through sessions, panels, keynotes, and networking opportunities.
Check out the agenda, accommodations, and more on our event page. The earlier you register, the better the price you will receive. We also offer discounts for group passes.
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