Patient Mobility and Cost Key in Global Nebulizer Market

These are the latest findings of medical research group InMedica (Wellingborough, United Kingdom).

With healthcare expenditure on the rise, there is increasing pressure on governments to find new ways to improve the health of the population and reduce the burgeoning burden on government finances. This trend has led to a growing trend for healthcare to be managed outside the traditional hospital environment. But as the prices of portable devices are, on average, 70% higher than stationary devices, suppliers need to educate both healthcare providers and patients alike of the benefits of portable systems, if the market is to reach its full potential.

The cost of jet nebulizer systems is also under scrutiny; customers want to reduce costs, but still ensure that the products are safe. This is particularly evident in the United States, following the “adverse event” fees introduced with the 2011 Medicare update. As a result, suppliers of nebulizers are launching products with higher efficiency, which ultimately have higher costs. On the other hand, with increasing competition from lower cost devices, suppliers need to communicate effectively the clinical efficiency of the more advanced product for them to be successful in the market.

“For the treatment of chronic diseases, many patients will choose to be treated at home rather than in a hospital. To meet this increasing demand, healthcare professionals are analyzing the use and cost of different treatments that are available,” said Kelly Barritt, a senior market analyst at InMedica. “They are hungry for information on the latest products and technologies that facilitate the home care of patients with chronic respiratory diseases.”

Jet nebulizers are devices used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs; they are commonly used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory diseases. The nebulizers use oxygen, compressed air, or ultrasonic power to break up medical solutions and suspensions into small aerosol droplets that can be directly inhaled from the mouthpiece of the device. When using a nebulizer for inhalation therapy with medication to be administered directly to the lungs, it is important to note that inhaled aerosol droplets can only penetrate into the narrow branches of the lower airways if they have a small diameter of 1–5 µm.

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