Paving the way to sustainable single-use drug delivery devices

Alex Fong, Head of Insight at Owen Mumford, and Olivia Houselander, Business Development Manager, talk about paving the way to sustainable single-use drug delivery devices.

Traditionally, medication delivery devices have relied heavily on single-use plastics to ensure safe and effective medication delivery to patients. Recycled materials are not currently an option as material selection is limited to medical options that have undergone rigorous testing for aspects such as biocompatibility with the drug, sterility and no chemical leaching.

However, increasing pressure from regulators and consumers is leading medical device manufacturers to place greater priority on environmental concerns. The path to a greener, more sustainable future puts single-use devices for drug delivery to patients at the forefront.

The path to a greener, more sustainable future puts single-use devices for drug delivery to patients at the forefront.

But it's a delicate balancing act – any move towards sustainability must take into account the needs of patients and the financial pressures facing healthcare organizations. And now, healthcare systems around the world require regular supplies of delivery devices and prefilled syringes to meet clinical needs.

This means that a transition plan is needed to map out the path to sustainability – given that it will take several years for the industry to move to truly sustainable alternatives that can be deployed at scale. Suppliers and buyers must take a collaborative approach to manage the transition and ensure the best clinical and patient outcomes.

Research into potential replacement materials for petroleum-derived plastics used in most drug delivery devices is underway. But there are no easy answers. For example, biodegradable options have been considered. However, biodegradability can sometimes affect the stability of drugs in prefilled medicines. The focus has therefore shifted to developing reusable drug delivery products that can be easily reprocessed, with a disposable element that can be easily recycled.

This is where “sustainability by design” comes into play – in the short term it is probably the fastest route to environmental improvements. The aim is to integrate sustainability aspects into product design and technology. ease

For example, dismantling will have a significant impact on recycling costs and methods. Creating a smaller, simpler device with less packaging reduces waste and the impact of transportation. And when different products use the same raw materials and production methods, costs and waste are saved and the production line becomes more flexible.

Careful consideration in the design phase can also help reduce the amount of single-use plastic generated from each treatment using a single-use device, without compromising the safe and effective user experience. And removing metal components from a design can also help reduce the carbon footprint, as the processing and shipping of metals has a greater environmental impact than that of polymers.

The key to success in sustainable product design is to examine the entire product life cycle – and not just the individual product. This means thinking about everything from concept development, material selection, and design and construction to manufacturing, packaging, transportation, sales, product use, and end-of-life disposal. In any case, aspects such as energy efficiency, environmental impact, material consumption and recycling must be assessed.

The key to success in sustainable product design is to examine the entire product life cycle – and not just the individual product.

But even with sustainable design, most drug delivery devices will likely still require a disposable element for some time to meet regulatory, safety and hygiene requirements. With connected devices, disposable electronics would be neither financially viable nor environmentally friendly. Therefore, a simple interface between the two component sections is required to ensure that functionality and effectiveness are not compromised.

The interchangeability of biosimilars also needs to be considered, balancing the cost benefits of changing the drug formulation or drug delivery device against the impact on the patient experience. In these circumstances, the simplest option may be a single-use device, as this avoids the regulatory complications of interchangeability status. But of course that's not the most sustainable choice.

With many competing factors on the path to sustainability, collaboration between buyer and supplier is needed more than ever to deliver optimized products that meet desired requirements. It's a balancing act, but strong and transparent partnerships promote continuous evolution as we continue to innovate and find better solutions.