Inside the Growth of Infusion Care: What’s Driving Demand—and How Health Systems Can Keep Pace

Advancing Infusion Care in a Time of Rapid Growth

Across the country, health systems are experiencing rapid expansion in their infusion service lines. What used to be a stable area of care has accelerated sharply—driven by a powerful combination of clinical innovation and evolving patient expectations. For example, Harris Williams reports that the over $100 billion infusion therapy market is projected to continue growing, fueled by new drug development, an aging population, and a significant shift in care to outpatient and in-home settings¹.

This trend is reflected across industry insights and expert commentary, including work by Prateek Bhatia, VP & GM of Intrafusion at McKesson, who has spoken widely on the dynamics shaping infusion care.

A Pipeline Reshaping the Care Landscape

According to Bhatia, two forces sit at the heart of today’s growth: a surging drug pipeline and expanding patient openness to infusion therapy.

“The drug pipeline has never been as robust as it has in the last three to five years,” he notes, citing advancements in neurology, oncology, and rheumatology that are producing an unprecedented number of infusible therapies. This trend is echoed across industry publications, which highlight how innovation is rapidly increasing the number of high complexity biologics reaching the market².

As higher efficacy and complex treatments such cell and gene therapies emerge, infusion centers are becoming essential access points for complex care—placing pressure on systems to expand safely and sustainably.‑efficacy treatments emerge, infusion centers are becoming essential access points for complex care—placing pressure on systems to expand safely and sustainably.

Patients Are Seeking More Options—and More Convenience

Today’s patients are more informed, more proactive, and more open to infusion therapy. They’re researching alternative treatments, engaging earlier, and prioritizing quality of life. “Patients want a better life, at a faster rate,” Bhatia explains, and they increasingly view infusion therapy as a pathway to that.

This aligns with broader industry data showing a significant shift toward more flexible, patient centered infusion settings, including physician office sites, ambulatory infusion centers, and homebased care. These trends are reinforced by McKesson’s analysis of patient access and infusion center visibility nationwide³. centered infusion settings, including physician office sites, ambulatory infusion centers, and home based care. These trends are reinforced by McKesson’s analysis of patient access and infusion center visibility nationwide.

The Operational and Workforce Pressures Mounting for Health Systems

As demand grows, health systems must navigate rising operational complexity and workforce shortages.

Higher Stakes for High-Cost Therapies Cost Therapies

Infusion drugs are among the highest cost therapies in healthcare. When operational workflows—from benefit verification to scheduling to inventory management—are even slightly misaligned; financial exposure increases sharply.

Bhatia identifies this as a core operations challenge: ensuring revenue cycle integrity and patient safety remain tightly coordinated so that neither the health system nor the patient is placed at risk.

This perspective is echoed in industry coverage emphasizing the need for smarter scheduling, data analytics, and technology enabled coordination across infusion centers⁴.

The Nursing Shortage Remains a Critical Barrier

Infusion care relies on skilled nursing support—and the national nursing shortage continues to be a top concern for health systems.

Bhatia notes the shortage consistently appears “on top of every CFO and CPO’s mind,” limiting the capacity of even well-designed infusion programs. designed infusion programs.

Industry experts also point to rising pressures to shift infusions from hospital-based sites to lower cost community environments, further straining staffing models⁵.

Where Infusion Care Happens Should Be Driven by One Thing: The Patient

As payers, policymakers, and providers debate the site of care landscape, Bhatia reinforces a simple principle of care landscape, Bhatia reinforces a simple principle: of care landscape, Bhatia reinforces a simple principle:

McKesson maintains the same philosophy, supporting infusion care across all settings—from health systems to community practices—ensuring patients receive equitable access wherever they are.

How McKesson Supports Health System Infusion Care

While profitability varies across service lines, Bhatia emphasizes that McKesson centers its strategy on enabling high-quality patient care.

McKesson’s infusion support model provides:

• Operational and workflow optimization
• Technology and analytics tools
• Supply chain assurance
• Multisite coordination support

These priorities mirror the themes highlighted in published McKesson expert insights, which spotlight smarter scheduling, improved chair utilization, and enhanced patient experience⁶.

“Wherever our customers need help expanding services and improving care delivery, we’re committed to helping provide the tools and services that empower them,” Bhatia explains.

The Road Ahead

Infusion care is expanding faster than ever before. To keep pace, health systems must strengthen operational maturity, evolve staffing strategies, and build an ecosystem that prioritizes access and patient experience.

Industry conversations—from strategic roundtables to McKesson’s own expert interviews—reinforce the opportunity ahead: with the right infrastructure, insights, and partnerships, infusion care can become one of the most efficient, patient centered components of a modern health system.

Give your health system the resources to start achieving more today by contacting Infusion for Health Systems by McKesson. 

Sources:

1: https://www.harriswilliams.com/our-insights/infusion-services-care-setting-shift-drives-growth

2: Expert: Improving Infusion Care Through Smarter Scheduling and Analytics | Pharmacy Times

3: Infusion Center Visibility | Enhancing Patient Care | McKesson Compile

4: Expert: Improving Infusion Care Through Smarter Scheduling and Analytics | Pharmacy Times

5: Advancing specialty pharmacy + infusion strategies: 3 roundtable takeaways - Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis

6: Expert Insights: Advancing Infusion Care Through Access and Innovation

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