Medical consumables have always been used in society as an aid in helping the body to heal, in fact I doubt if there is a single person who has not used a bandage or plaster to put on a sore finger or on some other body part. Regardless of how healthy you are, we are all prone to minor scrapes and bruises as well as infection. Medical consumables are medical products, medical consumables are different than pharmaceutical products even though you will be able to purchase both at your corner pharmacist.
The definition of medical consumables is as follows- Medical products which are used for therapeutic purposes which are not pharmaceutical in nature, which are non re-usable, and which are need in the case of injury or infection to restore the patients health and independence. Some examples of medical consumables are; catheters, and electrodes, syringes and needles, bandages and dressings, gloves, forceps, swabs, wooden tongue blades, plasters and bandage grips.
Suppliers of medical consumables are either; hospitals and clinics, general practitioners and specialists, pharmacies and rehabilitation centres.
In the case of hospitalisation it is the hospitals who supply the medical consumables to patients to in the treatment of the wound whether this be in the case of elective surgery or not. And the hospital needs to provide the patient with the consumable for weeks after the patient has been released.
When a patient is at a rehabilitation clinic or centre, the centre is responsible for supplying the consumables; consumables used are usually items such as neck and arm braces and dressings.
In the case of minor injuries which can be anything from simple cuts and grazes, minor burns, infections or rashes, the injuries can be nursed at home and one does not medical attention with the correct medical consumables and pharmaceutical products on hand. In the case of minor injury the patient can buy their consumables at a pharmacy. However if the wound is not healing or is getting worse then it is best to see a medical professional.
The selling of medical consumables is not an industry driven by profits and needs to be cost effective as stipulated by law. Medical consumable must be easily accessible to the general public. Most pharmacies are open from the morning till late in the evening to provide this service in case of incident and emergencies.
Policies and procedures for returning medical consumables are these and should be adhered to. In the case of a product being un-used, damaged or incorrectly ordered, the customer needs to contact the place where they bought the product, to return the product as soon as possible. They need to retain the slip as proof of purchase, and most likely will not be able to return the goods without it. However the product must be un- opened and full if being returned. Opened used products must be disposed of, and cannot be returned.
Medical consumables aid in the rehabilitation of injury or infection, helping the patient to heal and return to their former independence. They are cost effective and are easy to find, and should be kept at ones place of residence in a first aid kit, for on the spot treatment.
Disclaimer: Do not purchase any medical supplies without first consulting your physician