PHILADELPHIA -- In a move to increase healthcare worker safety, B. Braun Medical Inc. recently announced Premier Purchasing Partners, LP, the healthcare purchasing unit of Premier, Inc., has renewed its agreement for B. Braun’s line of safety IV catheters. B. Braun’s Introcan Safety® IV Catheters are designed with passive-safety features that automatically activate to help minimize accidental needle-stick injury. The three-year contract went into effect on October 1, 2007 and will complement Premier’s existing five-year agreement encompassing all major B. Braun safe solutions.

“From the industry’s first full line of DEHP/PVC-free products to passive safety IV catheters, B. Braun has remained on the forefront of delivering quality products to market that enhance safety, efficiency and are cost-effective,” said Caroll H. Neubauer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, B. Braun. “The fact that the largest healthcare alliance in the United States is renewing its agreement for our Introcan Safety® IV Catheters is sound testament that our product offering is making an impact with our customers, helping them improve care and achieve safer environments for both workers and patients.”

Between 600,000 and 800,000 accidental needles stick injuries occur each year.1 Carrying a high potential for blood-borne infection, needle-stick injuries result in more than three dozen new cases of HIV, 2,000 cases of Hepatitis C and 400 cases of Hepatitis B among U.S. workers each year.2 The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 62 to 88 percent of sharp injuries could potentially be prevented by the use of safer medical devices.3 The passive Introcan Safety IV Catheter is designed to minimize accidental needle-sticks without requiring user activation – less stress, less injuries. A stainless steel clip shields the needle tip. This passive design eliminates the risk of inadvertent activation while offering a short learning curve with minimal in-service training.

Along with Introcan Safety® IV Catheters, Premier members will have access to B. Braun's award-winning, safety-engineered infusion products including the Outlook™ Safety Infusion System, ULTRASITE® Needle-Free IV System, Excel® PVC-Free/DEHP-Free IV Containers, and DUPLEX® Drug Delivery System.

About Premier, 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient
Serving 1,700 hospitals and more than 47,000 other healthcare sites, Premier Inc. 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 the nation's largest healthcare purchasing network, 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.

About B. Braun
B. Braun is the recipient of the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Medical Technology Global Excellence Award for its excellence in helping healthcare providers improve the lives of their patients. B. Braun Smart Pumps have achieved "Category Leader" in the KLAS Top 20 Mid-Year Report Card for Smart Pump Technology, 2007.

Since its founding in 1839, B. Braun has built an unparalleled store of knowledge and expertise in delivering innovative healthcare products, medical devices and programs that enhance working processes in hospitals, alternate care settings and medical practices—increasing safety for patients, doctors and nurses. Its 34,000 employees worldwide are proud of their commitment to translating customer needs into products with unmatched quality, superior technology, cost-effectiveness and environmental responsibility.

Through its “Sharing Expertise®” initiative, B. Braun promotes best practices for continuous improvement of healthcare products and services. For more information about B. Braun or its safety healthcare products, call 800-854-6851 , email us at inquiry@bbraun.com or visit B. Braun at www.bbraunusa.com.

1 Preventing Needlestick Injuries in Health Care Settings, NIOSH Alert, 11/1999
2 Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act
3 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)