Though the United States economy has seen a downturn, the infusion pump market has not been significantly impacted. Although the current economic climate has slowed demand for new equipment, hospitals with smaller budgets have contributed to an increased demand for rental/lease and refurbished pumps.

Julie Gutterman of Pulse Consultants, an infusion pump repair and refurbishing company, says, "A lot of hospitals that usually go for new equipment are now starting to look for refurbished equipment because there is just no longer room in their budget for new equipment. There is a major many benefit to buying refurbished - it is much less expensive."


Even though it's less expensive, buyers can still feel comfortable with their purchases. "All the equipment we sell has a warrantee, and people realize that it's a good way to spend their money. It saves them more money for other equipment they might need," says Gutterman.

Strachota adds, "They are using refurbished pumps to save up for the software driven pumps because pump expenditure can be in the millions."

As a final note, Gutterman tells DOTmed that, "A lot of infusion pumps facilities might have purchased new a long time ago aren't being manufactured anymore. Since people need to stay consistent with their technology, they need to go for used, refurbished pumps."

Business in the refurbished and used market is booming, and the original equipment manufacturers and suppliers also seem to be doing well. Recently the Global Industry Analysts (GIA) announced that the infusion pump market is projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2015. This statistic is a function of increased disease incidence, new technology and mobility.

Currently, the United States and Europe dominate the global infusion pump market. However, there has been a trend of emerging markets in South America and China - particularly with a strong budding interest in used and refurbished pumps. According to analysts from Marketstrat Inc, a research company that publishes reports on medical devices, "Diabetes and pain control are areas of potential high growth in countries outside the US. These markets are still under-penetrated and growth of disease rates, improved diagnosis and demand for better management will create immense market opportunities. Most notable will be the pain control market in Europe and diabetes market in Asia."

In the United States, one of the stronger sectors of the market is the homecare sector - infusion pumps that are patient controlled systems and ambulatory pumps. Also a leader in the infusion pump industry is the implantable infusion pump. This demand is due to rising incidences of diabetes and cancer. There is a shift towards this alternate care because most of the pumps are cost effective and emulate normal pancreatic functions.

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