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Aerosols Deliver Positive Impact on Patient Adherence

How careful, informed product development can help bridge the patient adherence gap.

Pressurized package formats can bolster ease of use for topicals, nasal sprays and more.
Pressurized package formats can bolster ease of use for topicals, nasal sprays and more.

Sometimes relief is merely a breath or spray away.

Many in the healthcare industry know at face value that patient adherence is important. The World Health Organization stated,Increasing the effectiveness of adherence interventions may have a far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific medical treatments.”

Along these lines, Scott Carpenter,VP of Marketing and Partner Innovation at Formulated Solutions, is optimistic about the impact on global health “if we can simply have patients and consumers use their medicines as intended.”

His company works on product innovation—from new product development through contract manufacturing and packaging—seeking to create products that people want to use, not just have to.

“Five years ago, I entered the world of consumer healthcare where I discovered that the category was full of products that fell short on this commitment, often leading to low levels of product adherence… which led to dissatisfied customers but perhaps even more important, products not being used as intended,” he says. “But careful, informed, deliberate product design can help bridge the adherence gap.Various aerosols and pressurized dispensing systems are playing well beyond their traditional role of convenience into the greater critical role of healthcare compliance—adherenceand increasing the efficacy of traditional consumer healthcare products.”

Ease of use

Aerosols can help patients with health and mobility issues adhere to medication regimens. Those with reach or dexterity issues can apply a spray product without having to reach the application site. Aerosols are not a magic bullet—product waste can occur if the spray does not meet the application site properly, and there are concerns about sustainability (see sidebar). But pressing the dispenser button to release product may also be easier than opening a tube or bottle and applying a product by hand.

One area where aerosols have a major impact on adherence is in topicals,and this is reflected in the rapid growth of spray versions of many consumer healthcare products such as antifungal, pain relief, antiseptic and sunscreen sprays.

Carpenter notes that despite research showing the cancerous, and often deadly, effects of UV radiation from the sun,in a 2010 study from the National Cancer Institute, only one third of adults reported regularly applying a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher.

In light of these statistics, sunscreen sprays continue to adapt to consumer needs. A variety of formats offer benefits such as cooling, low-grease skin feel aesthetics and wet skin application to increase consumer application and reapplication. “Today, spray sunscreens account for 50% of the global sunscreen market as a leading form for speed, convenience, and ease of use, and continue to grow in market share,” he says.

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