Creating less waste in the first place will be a key component of cost effective sustainability programs for inhaler manufacturers, Purkins points out: “Additional cost in separation and disposal of recycling products usually is offset by benefits in terms of reduced material usage.” With significant pressure from payers to keep down costs, he acknowledges, it’s important to ensure that sustainability efforts do not add to the cost of devices.
However, Purkins cautions, while consumer pressure has not yet reached the point where consumers and doctors would reject a device they perceived as not being green enough, especially in the US, it is important to remember that many of the products being developed won’t be on the market for another 4-8 years. By that time, doctors and patients may have reached that point in at least some areas of the world. “As an industry, we want to make sure that we’re positioned so that inhalers that come onto the market in the future are aligned with what thinking is likely to be at that point,” he explains.
