Medical Supplies

Medical supplies covers the small items that are needed in almost every examination and are therefore reordered constantly: urine cups for sample collection, tongue depressors for throat examinations, and swabs, gauze compresses and cotton buds for cleaning, disinfection and minor wound care.

The category is aimed at GP surgeries, hospitals, care homes and ambulance services. Within each sub-category the products differ mainly in three respects: sterile or non-sterile, material – birch wood or polystyrene for depressors, cotton or cellulose for swabs – and pack size. Sterile versions are individually wrapped for opening at the point of care; non-sterile ones come in bags or cartons.

Typical applications

• Collecting urine samples in a GP surgery or A&E and passing them to the laboratory
• Mouth and throat examinations with wooden or plastic depressors
• Disinfecting skin before injections or blood draws with cellulose swabs
• Cleaning and covering minor wounds with sterile gauze compresses
• Taking swabs and samples with sterile cotton buds

What to look for when buying

Choose the sterile version when the item will touch wounds, mucous membranes or diagnostic samples and your infection-control policy requires it. For routine examinations and cleaning tasks, the non-sterile bulk pack is often sufficient and uses less packaging per piece.

Check the minimum order quantity too: in this category it ranges from 25 pieces for the sterile absorbent compress to 2,000 pieces for the 4×5 cm cellulose swab. If you need several variants – sterile and non-sterile tongue depressors, for example – you can combine them in a single enquiry.

Frequently asked questions