Owen Mumford Pharmaceutical Services has released a new report assessing the factors driving development and adoption of connected drug delivery devices, and the current attitudes of key healthcare stakeholders towards greater digitalisation in healthcare.

With the global connected drug delivery device market projected to grow at over 25% CAGR to reach more than $700 million in 2025, it is important to take a comprehensive view of the potential obstacles associated with these devices and assess how stakeholders can work collaboratively to address them. 

With increased demand for therapies treating chronic conditions, acute services risk being overwhelmed unless more patients are able to manage their own treatment and self-administer medication at home. Connected devices can allow clinicians to oversee treatment taking place outside of the healthcare setting by remotely accessing the data produced by these digital devices. The need for clinicians to be able to manage patient conditions remotely will become more pressing as staff shortages grow and healthcare demand increases, further driving administration of treatment in the home. 

There are a number of key stakeholders – payers, clinicians, pharmaceutical companies, patients - who have influence over the adoption of connected drug delivery devices. Each has a different perspective and it is useful to understand their respective approaches to gain a full picture of the different benefits of connected devices, but also the factors that must be taken into consideration for effective integration of connected devices in healthcare management. For instance, from a patient point of view, comfort during administration and ease-of-use are key to acceptance of a device. 

Further issues to consider when introducing connected devices are sustainability and data protection. Drug delivery device designers are under pressure to create products that enable connectivity but also minimise wastage, especially of embedded electronics that use rare-earth elements. Working in partnership with healthcare authorities and providers, they must also ensure that devices are interoperable with standard clinical systems and provide robust protection from data breaches.    

George I’ons at Owen Mumford Pharmaceutical Services said: “The current health crisis really drives home the value of enabling self-administration and remote consultations. In the long-term, it is imperative to develop and expand these capabilities and reduce pressure on healthcare systems, especially as populations are ageing and non-communicable diseases have become more widespread. Connected devices will be instrumental for encouraging therapy adherence in the home but we thought it important to also highlight the cost and environmental implications of shifting to connected devices, as well as viewpoints from each player in the healthcare chain.”