Premier Inc is awarding Baxter Healthcare Corporation new multi-year agreements. The first, a new five-year agreement to commence at the conclusion of the organizations' previous multi-year agreement in February 2004, will offer Premier's hospital and health system owners Baxter's intravenous solutions, medications and nutrition products, infusion pumps, I.V. tubing and devices, and patient-controlled analgesia products. The award, which the company estimates will total an expenditure by Premier members in excess of $2 billion over the term of the contract, will provide them with an integrated, cost-effective approach in managing the administration of medications, including intravenous medications and the devices used to deliver them.

Separately, Baxter also has been awarded another pharmaceutical agreement by Premier covering anesthesia and critical care products, including generic injectables and inhaled anesthetics. Baxter estimates a total expenditure by Premier members of more than $700 million over the three-year term of this contract.

The scope and size of these agreements are expected to be similar to the previous agreements between Baxter and Premier.

"We look forward to working collaboratively with Premier's members to provide an integrated system of products that work together to drive efficiency, value and a safer health care environment," said David F. Drohan, senior vice president and president of Baxter's Medication Delivery business. "Baxter's unmatched breadth of products and technologies will help Premier members address some of their most critical issues such as operational efficiency, staffing challenges, and patient safety."