US Disposable Medical Supplies

Disposable Medical Supplies

Demand for disposable medical supplies in the United States is forecast to rise 3.6% annually to $74.3 billion in 2026. The need for stringent infection prevention safeguards during surgery, patient examinations, and other direct contact healthcare procedures will continue to promote the use of disposable products over reusables whenever practical and cost-effective.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Demand Patterns for Various Disposables Will Diminish

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the US market for surgical disposables and single-use personal protective equipment (i.e., masks, isolation gowns, and examination gloves) in 2020 and early 2021:
•     The value of demand generated by surgical disposables decreased as treatment of severe COVID-19 cases created shortages in the availability of hospital space for elective surgeries.
•     By contrast, the value of demand posted by single-use personal protective equipment rose sharply as medical providers and patients strengthened their defenses against the potentially deadly coronavirus.

Over the next several years, surgical disposables and single-use personal protective equipment are expected to return to pre-pandemic demand patterns, spurred by a steady decline in the incidence of severe COVID-19 cases and number of related hospitalizations, as well as a steady increase in the routine and emergency surgeries.

Cost Issues Will Promote the Adaptation of Reusables to More Applications

While disposable medical supplies will continue to be used often in various applications thanks to their enhanced infection protection, cost considerations are leading some healthcare settings to shift to reusable medical supplies. This trend is projected to weaken growth opportunities for such disposables as prefillable inhalers, nebulizers, humidifiers, and patient and surgical gowns. Sustainability is also a consideration in the substitution of reusables for disposables in several applications.

Nonwoven Medical Disposables Sustained Following Pandemic-Related Surges in 2020 & 2021
Nonwoven medical disposables experienced significant growth in 2020 and 2021, as COVID-19 protocols encouraged the use of disposable nonwoven garments and textiles, especially masks. While demand for disposable nonwoven garments and textiles will decline slightly from their high 2021 base as the pandemic wanes, infection prevention considerations will continue to sustain demand for these products. Growth for nonwoven medical disposables will be driven by incontinence nonwovens as the patient base for these products expands and the preference for higher value-added products increases.

This Freedonia industry study analyzes the $62.3 billion US market for disposable medical supplies. It presents demand data in US dollars for the historical years 2011, 2016, and 2021 as well as forecasts for 2026 and 2031 by product (disposable infusion products, disposable syringes and needles, disposable inhalation products, dialysis disposables, transdermal patches, wound closures, disposable bandages, disposable wound dressings, first aid kits, disposable medical sponges, medical cotton goods, nonwoven medical garments and textiles, nonwoven incontinence goods, medical kits and trays, catheters and accessories, diabetes testing supplies, sterilization supplies, medical gloves, specimen collection supplies, disposable patient rooms supplies, ostomy disposables, disposable surgical instruments, medical waste disposal supplies, disposable patient examination supplies, and enema disposables) and market (hospitals, home healthcare, outpatient facilities, physicians’ offices, skilled nursing homes, dental practices, and other). Shipments and trade data in US dollars are also provided for the overall market.

Demand data in unit terms and average prices are provided for select products, including IV & blood administration sets, premixed IV solutions, IV catheters, prefillable syringes, clinical syringes, clinical needles, prefillable inhalers, gowns, face masks, urinary and cardiovascular catheters, sterilization containers, and gloves.

The study also evaluates company market share and industry competitor analysis for companies including Ansell, B. Braun Medical, Baxter International, BD, Cardinal Health, Coloplast, Convatec, Essity, ICU Medical, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Medline Industries, Medtronic, Mölnlycke, Owens & Minor, Smith & Nephew, STERIS, Teleflex, Terumo, and 3M.