World demand for disposable medical supplies is forecast to expand 6.2% annually to $198 billion in 2016. The upgrading and enforcement of infection prevention standards, coupled with an expanding volume of hospital, surgical, and outpatient procedures, will promote overall gains. The United States, China, Japan, Germany, Russia, France, India, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Brazil will comprise the 10 largest national markets, combining to absorb nearly 70 percent of global demand in 2016. During the forecast period (2011-2016), average annual growth in these markets will range from 3.7% in Japan to over 11% in India. These and other trends are presented in, “World Disposable Medical Supplies,” a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland, OH-based industry market research firm.  

Demand for disposable medical supplies in the United States, Western Europe, Japan, and most other developed countries will expand at a below average pace as their medical delivery systems are well established, meet the health care needs of most residents, and have already adopted stringent infection prevention standards. By contrast, growth in the BRIC countries and many other emerging economies will exceed the world average as health care sectors are expanded, modernized, and adapted to formal infection prevention protocols.

Among the major disposable medical supply product segments, dialysis disposables will post the fastest increases in global demand based on an expanding prevalence of end-stage renal disorders and the high frequency of therapeutic requirements. Other segments projected to command above average worldwide sales growth include diagnostic and laboratory disposables, respiratory supplies and devices, and infusion and hypodermic devices. The use of diagnostic and laboratory disposables will benefit from upward trends in cardiac testing and diabetes self-monitoring activities. An increasing base of allergy, asthma, and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients receiving regular treatment will boost demand for respiratory supplies and devices, especially prefilled inhalers. Rising preferences among medical providers for high value-added configurations with improved infection prevention safeguards will drive up sales of infusion and hypodermic devices. Drug delivery is another fast growing application for disposable medical supplies.