Medical News Today -- As life expectancy increases in developed economies, the healthcare industry is preparing for a number of new challenges as well as opportunities. A longer life span is expected to translate to a growing number of patients diagnosed with chronic conditions. To counteract the financial and medical infrastructure implications of this trend, pressure from the public sector and managed care organizations will place a premium on therapeutic self-administration, an expectation that is creating an increased interest in routes of administration that are patient-friendly and cost-effective. Pharma company decision makers have come to the realization that for many products, success no longer only depends on the medication itself but also on achieving a consumer-compatible form of packaging and application.
