Andrew Heenan RMN RGN BA(Hons) Editor, World Wide Wounds a.heenan@smtl.co.uk Submitted: 16 September 1997 Edition 2.0 |
Introduction High compression bandages Zinc paste bandages Absorbent, perforated film dressings Knitted viscose primary dressings Povidone iodine fabric dressings Vapour-permeable adhesive film dressing BP Alginate dressings Dextranomer paste pad dressings Hydrocolloid dressings Hydrogel dressings Polyurethane foam dressings Polyurethane foam film dressings References |
The Drug Tariff is not an arbitrary list; it contains only those products that are tried and tested; so it tends to exclude the latest products. The exact criteria for selection are not published, but it may not be a coincidence that products with a lower unit cost have, in the past, had a greater chance of quick inclusion than more expensive products. This, it might be suggested, shows a lack of understanding of the principles of wound management: a higher unit cost might apply to a product which needs applying less frequently and/or requires less time and skill to apply. Such a product might be more cost effective over a period of time.
The Drug Tariff has also shown obscure prejudice against certain areas; cavity wound dressings, and dressings for malodorous wounds have fared badly.
Recently, however, the Drug Tariff seems to have become more closely related to the market place and to patients' needs. New products, particularly those with a CE mark, and new sizes/formulations of existing products, appear to reach the Tariff more easily.
The Drug Tariff matters, because without an FP10 prescription (England and Wales; GP10 in Scotland) a dressing is officially unobtainable for NHS patients outside of hospital. (Hospitals are not bound by the Drug Tariff; they are free to draw up their own lists of acceptable purchases - but that is another story!). In practice, non-Tariff dressings are obtained by the time honoured techniques of begging, stealing and borrowing. Hospital staff need to be aware of the Drug Tariff and its limitations, in order to plan for continuity of wound management as patients go home.
This article reflects on information already available in the Drug Tariff [1], arranged in tables for convenience. It specifically excludes obsolete dressing, gauze swabs which are sued for cleansing purposes and items like paraffin gauze which are still available on community prescription, but are rarely the dressing of choice[2], particularly those impregnated with antibiotics which are an anachronism to be avoided. Colonization and contamination are not an indication for topical antibiotics, rather an imperative to effective wound healing as quickly as possible, and any sign of significant wound infection is an indication for appropriate systemic antibiotics.0
High compression bandages (extensible) | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Setopress (Seton) | 7.5cm x 3.5m |
£2.41
|
10cm x 3.5m |
£3.12
|
|
Tensopress (Smith & Nephew) | 7.5cm x 3m |
£2.34
|
10cm x 3m |
£3.02
|
|
Surepress (Convatec) | 10cm x 3m |
£2.96
|
Setopress is a P.E.C. high compression bandage; Polyamide, Elastane and Cotton Compression (high) Extensible Bandage (PECCHE). Tensopress is a V.E.C. High Compression bandage; Viscose, Elastane and Cotton Compression (high) Extensible Bandage (VECCHE).
Zinc paste bandages | Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Steripaste (15%) (Seton) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£3.01
|
Viscopaste PB7 (10%) (Smith & Nephew) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£3.03
|
Zincaband (15%) (Seton) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£2.96
|
Icthopaste (6.5%) (Smith & Nephew) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£3.06
|
Icthaband (15.5%) (Seton) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£2.96
|
Quinaband (Seton) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£3.05
|
Calaband (Seton) |
|
7.5cm x 6m |
£3.05
|
Perforated film absorbent dressings | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Melolin(Smith & Nephew) | 5cm x 5cm | 13p |
10cm x 10cm |
21p
|
|
20cm x 10cm |
40p
|
|
Mepore(Molnlycke) | 6cm x 7cm | 8p |
9cm x 10cm |
17p
|
|
9cm x 15cm |
28p
|
|
Release (Johnson & Johnson) | 5cm x 5cm |
12p
|
10cm x 10cm |
19p
|
|
20cm x 10cm |
37p
|
|
Skintact (Robinson) | 5cm x 5cm |
10p
|
10cm x 10cm |
17p
|
|
20cm x 10cm |
33p
|
Knitted viscose primary dressings | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
N-A Dressing (Johnson & Johnson) | 9.5cm x 9.5cm |
29p
|
N-A Ultra* (Johnson & Johnson) | 9.5cm x 9.5cm |
28p
|
Tricotex (Smith & Nephew) | 9.5cm x 9.5cm |
25p
|
Povidone iodine fabric dressing | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Inadine (Johnson & Johnson) | 5cm x 5cm |
£0.26
|
9.5cm x 9.5cm |
£0.39
|
Vapour-permeable adhesive film dressings | Type | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Opsite Flexigrid (Smith & Nephew) | 1 | 6cm x 7cm |
£0.43
|
1 | 10cm x 12cm |
£1.20
|
|
1 | 15cm x 20cm |
£2.90
|
|
Tegaderm (3M Health Care) | 2 | 10cm x 12cm |
£1.21
|
Bioclusive (Johnson & Johnson) | 3 | 10.2cm x 12.7cm |
£1.28
|
Cutifilm (Beiersdorf) | 4 | 7.5cm x 10cm |
£0.64
|
4 | 10cm x 14cm |
£1.09
|
|
EpiView(Convatec) | 5 | 6cm x 7cm |
£0.40
|
5 | 10cm x 12cm |
£1.05
|
Alginate dressings | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Algosteril (BDF) | 5cm x 5cm |
£0.72
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.65
|
|
Comfeel Seasorb (Coloplast) | 6cm x 4cm |
£0.71
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.47
|
|
Kaltogel (Convatec) | 5cm x 5cm |
£0.70
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.45
|
|
Kaltostat (Convatec) | 5cm x 5cm |
£0.72
|
7.5cm x 12cm |
£1.57
|
|
Sorbsan (Maersk) | 5cm x 5cm |
£0.89
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.57
|
|
Tegagen (3M Health Care) | 5cm x 5cm |
£0.72
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.51
|
Alginate dressing with absorbent backing | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Sorbsan Plus (Maersk) | 7.5cm x 10cm |
£1.43
|
10cm x 15cm |
£2.53
|
Dextranomer paste pad dressing | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Debrisan Absorbent Pad (Pharmacia) | 3g |
£2.30
|
Hydrocolloid dressings 1. Semipermeable With Adhesive Border |
Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Comfeel Plus Contour Dressing (Coloplast) |
|
6cm x 8cm |
£1.67
|
|
9cm x 11cm |
£2.89
|
|
Granuflex (Bordered) (Convatec) |
|
10cm x 10cm |
£2.50
|
|
10cm x 13cm |
£2.95
|
|
|
15cm x 18cm |
£4.60
|
|
Tegasorb Advanced
Formulation (3M Health Care) |
|
10cm x 12cm |
£2.01
|
|
13cm x 15cm |
£3.79
|
notes
1. list size plus border
2. square; list size, plus adhesive border
3. triangular; list size plus adhesive border
4. oval; size includes1.5cm border
Hydrocolloid dressings 2. Semipermeable Without Adhesive Border |
Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Comfeel (bevelled edge) (Coloplast) | 10cm x 10cm |
£2.11
|
|
15cm x 15cm |
£4.19
|
||
20cm x 20cm |
£6.40
|
||
Comfeel Plus Ulcer Dressing (Coloplast) | 10cm x 10cm |
£2.15
|
|
15cm x 15cm |
£4.27
|
||
20cm x 20cm |
£6.41
|
||
Granuflex (Improved Formulation) (Convatec) | 10cm x 10cm |
£2.12
|
|
15cm x 15cm |
£3.99
|
||
15cm x 20cm |
£4.35
|
||
20cm x 20cm |
£5.99
|
||
Tegasorb Advanced
Formulation (3M Health Care) |
10cm x 10cm |
£2.05
|
|
15cm x 15cm |
£3.97
|
Hydrocolloid dressings 3. Thin Semipermeable With Adhesive Border |
Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Combiderm (Convatec) |
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.25
|
|
14cm x 14cm |
£1.74
|
|
|
15cm x 18cm |
£3.00
|
notes
1. size includes 2.5cm border
2. size includes 3cm border
Hydrocolloid dressings 4. Thin Semipermeable Without Adhesive Border |
Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
DuoDerm Extra Thin (Convatec) | 7.5cm x 7.5cm |
£0.60
|
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.00
|
||
15cm x 15cm |
£2.17
|
Hydrogel dressings | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|
Granugel Hydrocolloid Gel (Convatec) | 15g |
£1.75
|
Intrasite Gel (Smith & Nephew) | 8g |
£1.38
|
15g |
£1.85
|
|
Nu-Gel (Johnson and Johnson) | 15g |
£1.75
|
Purilon Gel (Coloplast) | 15g |
£1.75
|
Sterigel (Seton) | 15g |
£1.75
|
Polyurethane foam dressing | Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Lyofoam (Seton) | 1 | 7.5cm x 7.5cm |
£0.87
|
1 | 10cm x 10cm |
£1.03
|
|
1 | 17.5cm x 10cm |
£1.60
|
|
1 | 20cm x 15cm |
£2.16
|
Notes
1. Dressings should be secured with adhesive tape, rather than
occlusive tape or film.
Polyurethane foam film dressing | Note | Size | Price (each) |
---|---|---|---|
Allevyn
(Non-adhesive) (Smith & Nephew) |
5cm x 5cm |
£0.97
|
|
10cm x 10cm |
£1.92
|
||
10cm x 20cm |
£3.09
|
||
20cm x 20cm |
£5.16
|
||
Allevyn Adhesive
(Smith & Nephew) |
1,2 | 7.5cm x 7.5cm |
£1.15
|
1,2 | 12.5cm x 12.5cm |
£2.06
|
|
1,2 | 17.5cm x 17.5cm |
£4.06
|
|
1,2 | 22.5cm x 22.5cm |
£5.91
|
|
Flexipore (Polymedica) |
1 | 6cm x 7cm |
£0.93
|
1 | 10cm x 10cm |
£1.73
|
|
1 | 10cm x 30cm |
£3.60
|
|
1 | 15cm x 20cm |
£3.70
|
|
1 | 20cm x 20cm |
£5.06
|
|
Lyofoam Extra
(Non-adhesive) (Seton) |
10cm x 10cm |
£1.72
|
|
10cm x 17.5cm |
£2.91
|
||
10cm x 25cm |
£3.52
|
||
15cm x 20cm |
£3.77
|
||
Spyrosorb (Adhesive) (Perstorp) | 1 | 10cm x 10cm |
£1.98
|
1 | 20cm x 20cm |
£5.65
|
|
Tielle (Adhesive
Margin) (Johnson & Johnson) |
1,3 | 7cm x 9cm |
£1.05
|
1,3 | 15cm x 20cm |
£3.99
|
|
1,3 | 11cm x 11cm |
£1.95
|
|
1,3 | 15cm x 15cm |
£3.25
|
|
1,3 | 18cm x 18cm |
£4.06
|
|
Tielle Sacrum (Johnson & Johnson) | 1,4 | 18cm x 18cm |
£2.95
|
This article is not intended to provide advice on the suitability of a particular dressing for a particular wound; it is intended to be no more than a guide to dressings availability in Great Britain. The warnings and uses given are indicative only, and are largely taken from the Drug Tariff [1] and the British National Formulary [2], but any opinions expressed are those of the author. The Drug Tariff is updated on a monthly basis.
Edition 2.0 is an updated form of the original (14 July 1997) article, with reference to a later issue of the Drug Tariff. Changes include latest prices and classification; Edition 1.0 (14 July 1997) is still available
1. Department of Health. Drug Tariff. London: HMSO, September 1997
2. Anna Prasad (Editor) British National
Formulary. London BMA/RPSGB, March 1997