U.S. Disposable Medical Gloves Markets

Frost & Sullivan

- Pub ID: MC1420217

Countries covered: United States

Research Overview

The Frost & Sullivan research service titled U.S. Medical Gloves Markets provides an overview of the effects of market conditions and product evolution, estimated revenues and market share, along with analysis of key market drivers, restraints, and trends that are impacting manufacturers’ research and development, and healthcare providers’ spending. In this research service, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following markets: NRL powder, NRL powder free, nitrile, vinyl and synthetic glove markets within the exam and surgical segments.

Market Sectors

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this analysis:

NRL Powder Gloves
NRL Powder Free Gloves
Vinyl Gloves
Nitrile Gloves
Synthetic Gloves

Market Overview

Latex Allergy Issues Drive the Sale of Alternative Powder Free and Non-latex Gloves

The U.S. Medical Gloves industry is nuance driven, where market conditions and end-user perceptions play crucial roles in determining the manufacturers’ success within the various stake holder segments. In today’s market, the most glaring issue deals with a growing awareness of the dangers associated with powder latex gloves among both clinicians and patients alike. Reactions such as irritation, type IV hypersensitivity from chemicals found in the natural rubber latex (NRL) gloves, as well as type I hypersensitivity to NRL protein allergens are commonly documented averse reactions to the NRL powder gloves. Due to this, many healthcare organizations have also begun shifting away from latex gloves altogether, and are moving toward nitrile and synthetic alternatives. Hence, allergy issues and a growing awareness of alternatives to the NRL powder glove are likely to help drive the sale of non-powder and non-latex alternatives throughout the forecast period.

Nevertheless, budgetary constraints continue to hamper the sale of non-latex and specialty gloves, as a majority of healthcare organizations throughout the country face difficulty to increase their spending beyond what has been budgeted. Thus, despite the benefits associated with non-latex alternatives and specialty gloves, many organizations still forgo these products for cheaper and more cost-effective alternatives. This especially holds relevance among alternative care sites, wherein budgets are significantly tighter and awareness of issues regarding powder latex gloves is not as widespread. “This apart, rising rubber prices are also likely to significantly hinder the sale of latex gloves in the short to medium term,” notes the analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “The explosive demand worldwide for natural rubber has resulted in an 81.5 percent natural rubber latex price increase since January 2005, in turn pushing up the prices of NRL gloves.”

Increasing New Market Entrants Likely Lead to Growth for Glove Unit Shipment Levels

As result of greater demand for NRL powder alternatives from the provider side, an increasing number of companies are likely to continue to enter the market in an attempt to capitalize on the demand. This continued entry of the new market participants is expected to provide for a rise in the disposable glove production over the course of the forecast period. Additionally, the continued increase in patient volumes is also likely to drive unit shipments, as healthcare organizations across the board are anticipated to increase their expenditure on disposable gloves to accommodate growing patient volumes. This can, in turn, lead to the purchase of lower-priced gloves to alleviate cost constraints for some organizations, especially within the alternative care segment.

Among the market segments, unit shipments of the NRL powdered gloves, in both the medical exam gloves and the surgical gloves market, have undergone significant reductions over the past three years. Correspondingly, NRL powder-free gloves have continued to gain acceptance, displaying considerable growth in terms of both unit shipments and revenues. ”Although the overall U.S. medical gloves market continues to grow, adoption patterns have begun changing over the past several years, and will continue to do so as clinicians become increasingly aware of the negative components of the previously more used latex gloves, and continue demanding alternatives,” says the analyst. “Additional factors such as price point and technology innovation will also play critical roles in determining further market penetration in the years to come.“

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