Within the healthcare products universe, compliance is king.
After all, a product not taken as intended stands to be a
December 2017 Spray 25
potentially ineffective treatment.
plication 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 continues to grow in market
share as a lead sunscreen form. Growth in this segment signals the
importance of spray sunscreens and their acceptance as a key tool
in consumer-driven, UV-related skin protection.
Product compliance is also an issue for the antifungals market,
where effective treatment commonly extends well beyond the
subsidence of symptoms. In a market where almost one quarter of
the population suffers from nail fungus7,8, athletes foot9 or both,
effective and easy-to-use product forms are essential for productive
self-care. Standard product treatment forms such as antifungal
powders can be messy and embarrassing and creams can be
difficult to administer, especially for the elderly, diabetics and
those with generally limited mobility. The introduction of spray
treatments has dramatically improved the product experience,
increasing patient application “reach” by projecting the product
toward the infected area, while concurrently eliminating the
telltale signs of antifungal powder residue on clothing, shoes and
hosiery. Additional relief of pain and discomfort is also realized
through the cooling attributes many spray antifungals offer, further
demonstrating the benefits that aerosols can play in lowering
the boundaries to use and compliance.
The list of other healthcare aerosols delivering high consumer
value is plentiful and includes other examples such as monoxidil
foam, which allows deep penetration of actives into the hairline in
an easy-to-apply foam. Topical analgesic sprays offer continuous,
spray-any-angle, targeted application of product, even in hard to
reach places; nasal spray, which, with its gentle BOV mist, can be
formulated preservative free and sterilized in a hermetically sealed
package, helping to alleviate preservative resistance
in users. Examples such as these demonstrate that
aerosols and pressurized package systems can play a
key role in product innovation and have meaningful
impact on ease-of-use, leading to lower barriers
to product compliance.
The consumer value associated with aerosols
has been understood for over 70 years. In an age
where consumers are increasingly taking a selfcare
approach to health care, aerosols and other
pressurized package innovations can offer a host
of benefits that aid the user in overcoming the
obstacles to effective compliance while increasing
overall satisfaction and desirability.
What does the future hold for aerosols in
healthcare? Imagine applications that include gentle mist moisturizing
sprays for ocular applications, low drag ultra-cooling
products for hemorrhoids, mediated haircare for deep penetration
of actives without the need for water, and luxurious, fast
rub-in whipped lotions for enhanced derma applications. The
opportunities are endless.Spray
1Sabaté E, editor., ed. Adherence to Long-Term Therapies: Evidence for Action.
Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2003
2https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/02/21/the-development-of-oral-contraceptive
packaging/
3Cancer Facts and Figures 2017. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/
acs/groups/content/@editorial/documents/document/acspc-048738.pdf. Accessed
January 10, 2017.
4Parkin DM, Mesher D, Sasieni P. Cancers attributable to solar (ultraviolet) radiation
exposure in the UK in 2010. Br J Cancer 2011; 105:S66-S69.
5National Cancer Institute. Cancer Trends Progress Report: UV Exposure and Sun
Protective Practices. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department
of Health and Human
6Holman DM, Berkowitz Z, Guy GP Jr, Hartman AM, Perna FM. The association
between demographic and behavioral characteristics and sunburn among U.S. adults—
National Health Interview Survey, 2010. Preventive Medicine 2014;63:6–12.
Services.
7Haneke E, Roseeuw D (1999) The scope of onychomycosis: epidemiology and clinical
features. Int J Dermatol 38Suppl 2: 7–12
8Ghannoum MA, Hajjeh RA, Scher R, Konnikov N, Gupta AK, et al. (2000)
A large-scale North American study of fungal isolates from nails: the frequency of
onychomycosis, fungal distribution, and antifungal susceptibility patterns. J Am Acad
Dermatol 43: 641–648
9https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907807/