Obtaining ostomy products
When a patient leaves the hospital after stoma forming surgery, they will be given some stoma bags and a prescription for more. Their Healthcare Professional will then give a prescription for further supplies. Their stoma care nurse will explain how the system works.
There are various ways of obtaining stoma supplies for the person you are caring for. Depending on the country you live in you will have different options.
In general, you can obtain supplies via:
1. A local pharmacy
2. From a delivery company
3. From a stoma association
Local Pharmacist
Prescriptions can either be taken to a chemist or sent to a specialist supplier who will fulfil and deliver the order. This process is now often carried out electronically. The stoma care nurse or GP will be able to advise you what system operates in your area.
Delivery company
The primary advantage is that it is an anonymous service. It will be in a plain brown box with the person’s name and address on it and nothing else to identify that they are getting stoma supplies.
Stoma association
In some countries a person with a stoma has the option to get supplies from the local stoma association. They are a good idea for some people because people who are in stoma associations have stomas themselves. They understand the need to obtain stoma supplies in a timely and orderly manner. One thing we would advise you to do is, if you are using your chemist, a delivery service or stoma association and you are not happy with the service you are obtaining, go speak to the stoma care nurse or go online and look for different options. New options become available every year so it can be helpful to keep an eye on what advancements are being made in product design.
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