U.S. Demand for Disposable Medical Supplies Shows Steady But Modest Gains

According to a new study conducted by The Freedonia Group Inc., demand in the United States for disposable medical supplies will expand 4.1 percent annually to $49.3 billion in 2018.
 
“An increasing volume of patient activity attributable to an aging population, a rising incidence of medical conditions, and the extension of health insurance coverage by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will comprise the major factors spurring growth,” said Freedonia analyst Bill Martineau.
 
The U.S. disposable medical supplies market will also benefit from a heightened focus on infection prevention throughout the healthcare sector, he said.
 
Analysts with the Cleveland, Ohio-based industry market research firm reported that based on an increasing number of patients who need surgery or long-term chronic care therapy, drug delivery and related products will remain the fastest expanding group of disposable medical supplies. Total demand registered by this product group will rise 5.1 percent annually to $13.4 billion in 2018. Safety-enhanced devices for the minimally invasive delivery of parenteral medicines, inhalation therapies, and IV and dialysis solutions will lead growth.
 
Disposable wound management products will post demand of $11.2 billion in 2018, up 3.8 percent annually from 2013. Polymeric tissue sealants, along with alginate, foam, and collagen wound dressings, will realize the fastest growth based on enhanced safety and faster healing properties. Conversely, demand for bandages will expand at a below average pace due to limited pricing flexibility and the overall lack of proprietary types. First-aid kits will fare the best among other disposable wound management products, benefiting from trends promoting self-treatment.
 
Compared to disposable medical supplies as a whole, nonwoven medical disposables will see above average growth in demand. The heightened focus on infection prevention in the healthcare sector will boost consumption of single use, high value-added nonwoven garments and textiles by hospitals and outpatient facilities, analysts wrote. A rising prevalence of incontinence problems attributable to the aging population will impact favorably on retail and institutional sales of nonwoven adult undergarments, shields and other protective products.