Factors Affecting Infusion Pump Price (+ Helpful Purchasing Insights)

When you are the doctor, nurse, or home caregiver attending to a patient’s treatment needs, having the right medical equipment can make your job a lot easier. And, if the equipment is for administering medications or life-saving body fluids, its accuracy is vital for the patient’s health and life safety.

I’m speaking about the infusion pump, the medical device healthcare professionals use to medicate and give fluids to patients in controlled large or small quantities. You often see them in hospitals and clinics, but infusion pumps are also common in home care and nursing homes.

But how affordable are they, or will the infusion pump price break your bank?

I took the time to find out the price of infusion pumps in the current market and established that infusion pump price ranges from around $163 to $3,658. Refurbished and used infusion pumps tend to cost less, while new ones sell for higher prices.

While at it, I also put together some purchasing insights to help you land the best deal for your money. But first things first, what are the factors that determine infusion pump prices?

Several factors determine how much you or your healthcare institution will pay for an infusion pump. These factors are related to current market trends, user ownership preferences, infusion pump type, and pump brand and features.
Let’s explore the factors in detail.

If current predictions for the global infusion pump market growth turn out true, its usage in healthcare facilities, homes, and nursing care will experience a surge in growth of at least 5.8 billion in the next four years. That is a significant leap from the 2022 14.7 billion market value to a predicted 20.5 billion in 2027.

A demand for infusion therapy equipment within healthcare facilities is the main trigger of growth in the infusion pump market. However, there’s also an increase in the number of senior citizens and a growing need for surgeries and treatment for chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer.

On the flip side, some factors might slow down the growth of the infusion pump market. Among them is the widespread use of refurbished and used units that cost less. Also, some clinicians and health caregivers want to avoid the medical emergencies and errors associated with infusion pumps.

Slowing the growth of the infusion pump market could also be the demanding requirements that govern infusion pump manufacturing. An example is the industry guidelines suggested by the FDA after the 2010 Infusion Pump Improvement Initiative.

From a buyer's viewpoint, these factors don’t only affect the overall infusion pump market growth, they also define the infusion pump price of individual brands. After all, a rise in the demand for a commodity often comes with increased cost.

Market research shows that some infusion pump brands have made a name for themselves and are associated with quality. This means they dominate the current infusion pump market.

Such brands include Becton Dickinson (BD Alaris), the 2023 top global prayer in the infusion therapy equipment market. Other brands controlling the market include B. Braun, Baxter, and ICU Medical.

These brands have gained success over the years in medical equipment manufacturing. That also means their brand names enjoy success in sales irrespective of product prices.

That said, being new to the market does not necessarily mean lesser quality. In fact, new entrants in the infusion therapy market often offer quality for lower prices. By doing this, they work hard to make a name for themselves in a competitive market.

Autoinfu is one of those newer brands using state-of-the-art technology to deliver safety and precision with its infusion pump model. By doing so, it is building a name for its brand that inspires high quality.

Refurbished and used infusion pumps are cost-effective options, especially when patients or healthcare facilities are on a low budget.

Before putting refurbished infusion pumps back on the market, providers and retailers ensure the devices go through a thorough inspection. They also invest in the necessary repairs from reputable companies and submit the infusion pumps for safety and quality retesting and reinspection.

Generally, used and refurbished infusion pumps cost less than new ones. However, they can also come with a hefty price tag. This is especially true if the refurbished or used infusion pumps are from one of the market-dominating brands mentioned earlier.

For example, while writing this article, a used B Braun Infusomat Space is listed for $2,669 on Bimedis, the international online marketplace for used and new medical equipment. The lower-price listings for used infusion pumps in the same brand start at $163.

It is clear that new Infusion pumps in this brand will cost more. In fact, the healthcare equipment vendor MFI Medical has a new B. Braun Perfusor Space Syringe Pump listed for $3,658 at the time of creating this article.

You must ensure that the refurbished or used infusion pump you purchase has passed the safety and precision test. If you are uncertain about the quality of a used or refurbished infusion pump but are on a tight budget, consider the affordable brands that are newer in the market but provide quality, like the Autoinfu infusion pump.

This CE-approved, easy-to-use infusion pump has all the required safety and precision features. You see it listed for $1,499 on the manufacturer’s page.

Purchasing infusion pumps for your health facility or home and nursing care can be a costly investment. The infusion pump buying price is higher than the leasing fee for a few days, weeks, or months.

However, if you lease infusion pumps for several months, the accumulated monthly fees can grow higher than the buying price.

Leasing infusion pumps is also a cheaper option. That’s because the supplier assumes the testing, cleaning, repair, and maintenance costs. Instead, owners of infusion pumps have to foot these costs.

The decision to buy or lease infusion pumps will largely depend on the device's function. A patient in home care that needs an infusion pump for a short period will be wise to rent. However, a patient suffering from a chronic disease who needs the medical equipment for daily fluid and medication delivery is better off purchasing.

Similarly, hospitals and other health facilities can decide to purchase or lease based on their medical services and their patients’ treatment needs.

Often, healthcare facilities that require numerous infusion pumps buy some and lease the others. Such an arrangement can significantly cut infusion pump costs, especially if you rent the equipment for a couple of days or weeks.

In summary, if you are going to invest so much in infusion pump price, it is also important that you know what you are looking for.

One of the widely discussed issues surrounding the use of infusion pumps in the health sector is their accuracy and reliability. Of course, if you give medications or nutritional fluids to a patient using a programmed machine, you must ensure patient safety and eliminate every possibility of complications.

A quick online search will give you a long list of infusion pumps for sale. However, it’s important to ensure that any brand you choose is reliable and precise in medication or fluid delivery. You can do that by assessing the infusion pump for particular safety factors before making a purchase.

Below are the top 3 safety factors an infusion pump must satisfy before you decide to spend your money on it.

The term ‘single point of failure’ describes a function or part of a system that, if it fails, the entire system fails. Because infusion pumps must have high precision and reliability for patient safety, they require ‘no single point of failure’ certification.

Specifically, having no single point of failure means that the infusion pump will perform optimally. If, for whatever reason, device failure should happen, it should not malfunction silently, but must instead stop pumping and sound or display an alarm.

A failed infusion pump can cause adverse effects to a patient. No healthcare professional wants that to happen. So, ensure the infusion pump brand you choose has reliable safety sensors.

Safety sensors will stop fluid delivery and activate an alarm in case of infusion pump malfunction. The alarm will alert the attending healthcare provider to correct the issue.

Safety sensors activate an alarm or halt fluid delivery in any of these situations:

Infusion pumps rely on power to function. Depending on the model, they can have an AC charging port or a rechargeable or portable battery.

If an infusion pump shuts down for lack of power, fluid delivery to the patient’s body will be interrupted.

So, when buying an infusion pump, ensure it has a long battery life. This will limit the number of times you need to recharge it. It will also prevent any medical emergencies due to infusion interruption.

If an infusion pump checks for these 3 factors, you are getting value for your money.

Infusion pumps are life-saving equipment in drug and fluid delivery to a patient’s body. However, a high infusion pump price can be a deal breaker for patients or healthcare facilities that want to guarantee safety and precision in patient treatment and care.

Consider refurbished and used infusion pumps from reliable brands when working with a tight budget. Better still, you can buy new infusion pumps from newer manufacturers who offer quality for less money.

Whichever way you go, ensure the infusion pump meets the recommended safety features.

1. FDA. What Is an Infusion Pump? 2017. Available at https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/infusion-pumps/what-infusion-pump.
2. Businesswire. Infusion Pump Global Market Report 2022: Rising Demand for Ambulatory Infusion Pumps in Home Care Settings Fuels Growth - ResearchAndMarkets.com. Available at https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221128005554/en/Infusion-Pump-Global-Market-Report-2022-Rising-Demand-for-Ambulatory-Infusion-Pumps-in-Home-Care-Settings-Fuels-Growth---ResearchAndMarkets.com.
3. iData Research. Infusion Therapy Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis | Global | 2024-2030 | MedSuite | Includes: Infusion Pumps, Intravenous Sets, and 4 more. Available at https://idataresearch.com/product/infusion-therapy-market/.
4. FDA. Examples of Reported Infusion Pump Problems 2017. Available at https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/infusion-pumps/examples-reported-infusion-pump-problems#:~:text=Alarm%20errors,Battery%20failures.
5. Silva MDS, Araújo JL, Nunes GAMA, Rosa MFF, Luz GVDS, Rosa SSRF, Piratelli-Filho A. Precision and reliability study of hospital infusion pumps: a systematic review. Biomed Eng Online 2023; 22(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12938-023-01088-w.
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7.Med One. 6 Safety Factors to Check When Buying Infusion Pumps 2020. Available at https://www.medonegroup.com/aboutus/blog/6-safety-factors-to-check-when-buying-infusion-pumps.