Care for the Unique Nutrition Challenges of Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS)

We have the home TPN experience and expertise to help you thrive with SBS.

Support from a
Dedicated Clinician

Choice of Supplies
Delivered Nationwide

Accepted by
Most Insurance

Home TPN for Short Bowel Syndrome

If you or a loved one have short bowel syndrome, you’re not alone. Up to 20,000 people in the U.S. are living with short bowel syndrome¹—a condition that involves unique nutrition challenges. Our board-certified nutrition support pharmacists, pharmacists, and nurses at Nutrishare understand these nutritional challenges and provide long-term home TPN support tailored to each patient’s specific needs.

As the only pharmacy in the country devoted exclusively to home TPN, our knowledge, expertise, and experience is unmatched nationally.

What is Short Bowel Syndrome?

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a complex disease that occurs due to the physical or functional loss of a portion of the small intestine. This can be the result of injury, disease, birth defect, or surgery. Because the body absorbs most nutrients consumed—such as fats, carbohydrates (sugars), proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fluids—through the small intestine, parenteral nutrition (PN) is used to provide those nutrients. When the need for PN extends past the hospital and into the home, it is then referred to as home parenteral nutrition.^{2, 3}

What is TPN Treatment

TPN stands for total parenteral nutrition. TPN bypasses the gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream to fill a vital role in making up for the body’s lost nutrients, mitigating symptoms, and maintaining a better quality of life. With TPN, a central line is inserted into a large vein and nutrients are delivered directly into the bloodstream. The first few doses of TPN typically are given in the hospital. Once the patient is stabilized in the hospital on PN they can be transferred home to continue their treatment. The amount of time a person requires TPN varies. For some individuals, TPN may be a lifelong requirement.

Managing the nutritional needs of people with SBS has improved remarkably during the past several years, thanks primarily to advances in home parenteral nutrition.⁴ These advances mean an improvement in quality of life, especially when coordinated by the experts at Nutrishare.

Our Expert Healthcare Providers

Our care team was designed with the long-term home TPN patient in mind. Featuring board-certified nutrition support specialists who are constantly seeking new ways to improve our patients’ quality of care.

Nutrishare pharmacists, nurses, and dietitians are available to address any clinical issue and have joined the Nutrishare team specifically for their home infusion experience. Many of them hold one of the following: BCNSP (board-certified nutrition support pharmacist) or CNSC (certified nutrition support clinician), and all of them gain more specialized experience and expertise with each passing day.

Meet Our TPN Experts

Personalized Care Focused on Results

Of the patients Nutrishare supports, well over half are living with SBS. As the nation’s only pharmacy focused exclusively on home TPN, we design our care to help them achieve better clinical results, which include:

Decrease in hospitalization frequency
Fewer catheter complications
Consistent monitoring of labs to ensure proper nutrition
Nutrition formulation adjustments coordinated directly with providers
Regular communication and progress updates from a dedicated clinician

Minimizing Risk of Complications

In addition to monitoring lab results for nutritional deficits, we also carefully monitor the patient’s risk of developing any long-term home TPN and SBS complications. These may include:

Infections
Dehydration
Long-term kidney or liver problems
Kidney stones
Lab abnormalities

Living and Thriving with
Adult Short Bowel Syndrome

A free eBook from the home TPN experts at Nutrishare

Get tips for living with short bowel syndrome and taking back control of your life in our free eBook.

Download our free eBook here

ORS Recipe Guide

Diet for Short Bowel Syndrome

SBS affects nutrient absorption, therefore changes in oral diet are needed to maximize tolerance and manage symptoms.⁸ Understanding the nutritional challenges our patients face and their wants and needs are all foundational to our system of care, which is designed around helping our patients achieve superior clinical results. We are passionate about ensuring a higher standard of home TPN care.

Woman grocery shopping and checking off her shopping list. (Model)

More Than
Just a Pharmacy

One of best ways to manage long-term TPN with SBS is being an informed patient. In addition to your nutrition formulations and supplies, Nutrishare welcomes you to a network of home TPN support from leading specialists, clinicians and even other SBS patients and caregivers like you.

SHARING Newsletter
featuring care tips and patient stories from others living with home TPN.

Nutrishare Neighborhood Zoom
Virtual meetings with other SBS patients, their caregivers, and guest clinical speakers with expertise in SBS.

Travel advice
and options for traveling with your home TPN.

Get the Freedom to Choose

Frequently Asked Questions

I have SBS and require home TPN. Can Nutrishare work with my physician?

Nutrishare works well with all different types of physicians including gastroenterologists, surgeons, pediatricians, and internists in caring for the long-term home TPN patient. As the long-term home TPN patient, we’ll work closely with your doctor, providing routine communication on your lab results, your progress, and your care.

I’d like to switch my home TPN provider. How do I join the Nutrishare Family?

It is just a phone call away. Just call 800-HOMETPN, press option #1, and ask to speak with any of the clinicians. Or, let us know how to best reach you and we’ll contact you.

Does Nutrishare work with a wide range of insurers?

Nutrishare accepts many different types of insurance, including a majority of commercial plans, Medicare and Tricare for primary coverage, and select state Medicaid plans for secondary coverage. Fill out our insurance pre-check and we’ll contact you to verify your benefits.

Can Nutrishare provide home TPN services where I live?

Nutrishare serves patients across the country! We are currently licensed in 48 states, and are coming soon to Louisiana and Mississippi.

How will I receive my home TPN and supplies?

Nutrishare will typically send your home TPN at a consistent day and time using overnight delivery to ensure timely arrival. While home TPN must be sent one week at a time, many of our patients choose to have their supplies delivered on a monthly basis. The choice is yours!

Can I choose my supplies and infusion pump?

Nutrishare is the home infusion pharmacy for home TPN patients. We have an open formulary, and always seek to provide the supplies and pump of your choosing.

Does Nutrishare care for short-term TPN patients?

Nutrishare's expertise is on the care of the long-term home TPN patients. Our goal is to always provide products and services that will contribute to improving your health and quality of life. Once it is determined that long-term home TPN (6+ months) is necessary, Nutrishare will be there to meet your needs.

Start Living Better Today

Our insurance experts are ready to help you get started with Nutrishare. Begin by submitting an insurance pre-check. A member of our team will contact you. Or call us at 1-800-HOME-TPN (466-3876).

Start an Insurance Pre-Check

¹Short Bowel Syndrome and Crohn’s Disease - Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/pdfs/ short-bowel-disease-crohns.pdf

² Bering, J., & DiBaise, J. K. (2022). Home Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Nutrients, 14(13), 2558. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132558

3 Mueller, C. M., & American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (Eds.). (2012). Home Nutrition Support. In The A.S.P.E.N. Adult Nutrition Support Core Curriculum (2. ed). A.S.P.E.N.

⁴ Massironi, S., Cavalcoli, F., Rausa, E., Invernizzi, P., & Braga, M. (2019, December 28). Understanding short bowel syndrome: Current status and future perspectives. Digestive and Liver Disease. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://www.dldjournalonline.com/article/S1590-8658(19)30922-3/fulltext

⁵ Flesher, M. (2020, March 18). Short bowel syndrome and Diet. Gastrointestinal Society. Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://badgut.org/information-centre/health-nutrition/short-bowel-syndrome-and-diet/