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Formulary
Page last updated:
6 January 2023
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Obtaining stoma supplies
Patients requiring incontinence or stoma appliances can have these dispensed either by a dispensing appliance contractor (DAC), a pharmacy contractor, or a dispensing doctor.
Prescriptions should only be issued at the request of the patient, patient’s carer, or their relevant healthcare professional. No stoma product should be supplied to a patient without a signed prescription. Prescriptions should not be changed or edited unless advised by the stoma care nurse specialist service.
A list of all stoma appliances available on FP10 can be found in the Drug Tariff, Part IXC.
The dispensing appliance contractor or pharmacy contractor is required to ensure that appropriate advice is given to patients about any appliance provided to them in order to enable them to utilise, store and dispose of appliances appropriately.
The dispensing appliance contractor/pharmacist must also provide appropriate advice to patients on the importance of only requesting on repeat those items which they actually need to ensure that unnecessary supplies are not made.
Dispensing contractors must also supply a reasonable quantity of wipes and disposal bags with ostomy products free of charge which do not need to be added to the prescription.
- A marker has been placed in the Drug Tariff next to those categories to indicate with which items wipes and disposal bags must be supplied
If the patient chooses to use a pharmacy contractor or dispensing doctor to obtain their supplies, routine products can be available for collection/delivery within 24-48 hours, with some specialised products taking a little longer. Few contractors will hold extensive stocks of stoma appliances and will order products for each individual patient.
Dispensing appliance contractors are companies (often linked to stoma care appliance manufacturers) that offer home delivery of stoma care products free to the patient. Many will also offer complimentary wipes, disposal bags and scissors. They also provide a pouch cutting service (for patients who are unable to cut their own pouches to size) and will apply accessory products (such as clips or bridges) to pouches.
There are numerous DACs, but those most used by patients in NHS Devon are:
- Amcare Group:
- Telephone: 0800 885050
- Charter Healthcare:
- Telephone 0800 132787
- Fittleworth Medical Limited:
- Telephone 0800 378846
- Salts Healthcare Limited:
- Telephone: 01752 346027
- Salts Medilink:
- Telephone: 0800 626388
If supplies are required urgently, both Dispensing Contractors and DACs may be able to offer a next day delivery. It is recommended a call is made to the contractor to check.
Emergency supplies must not be made unless a request is specifically initiated by the prescriber and as long as a prescription is provided within 72 hours.
Retrospective prescribing i.e. requesting delivery of a product before the prescription is submitted to the contractor must not occur.
