World Disposable Medical Supplies Demand to Approach $164 Billion in 2014

World demand for disposable medical supplies will increase 5.6 percent annually to nearly $164 billion in 2014.  Based on the advanced nature of medical delivery systems and the widespread insurance coverage of residents for primary health care procedures, the developed countries combined will account for nearly three-fourths of this total.  Demand in the developing countries as a whole will expand faster as the availability and accessibility of basic health care services improve.  Throughout the world, stepped up efforts to improve infection prevention protocols will benefit demand for disposable medical supplies.  However, most products will become increasingly price sensitive due to the expansion of health care cost containment initiatives. These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in World Disposable Medical Supplies, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Based on uses in surgery, first aid and trauma treatment, wound management supplies will remain the top-selling group of disposable medical supplies worldwide.  Wound dressings based on alginate, foam, collagen and growth factor substances will post the most rapid growth based on use in treating moderate-to-severe lacerations.  Cyanoacrylates and bioengineered fibrin tissue sealants will also fare well in the marketplace based on superior binding traits and fast healing advantages. 

World demand for nonwoven medical disposables will increase 4.4 percent annually to $25.1 billion in 2014.  The strengthening of health care infection prevention standards will drive growth by promoting the substitution of higher value-added single-use textiles and garments for lower cost products during surgery and general patient care.  Additionally, a rising prevalence of incontinence conditions will boost sales of adult diapers and related goods. Diagnostic and laboratory disposables are projected to post global demand of nearly $22.4 billion in 2014, up 7.1 percent annually from 2009.  Blood glucose test strips and other diabetes-related testing supplies will see the fastest gains. Drug delivery devices, catheters and accessories, and dialysis supplies are among other disposable medical supplies forecast to generate above-average-growth in world demand.  The market for drug delivery devices will benefit from the widening availability of parenteral and inhalation pharmaceuticals, as well as from increasing preferences for high value-added ready-to-use and safety-enhanced products. 

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.