Shopping for the best ostomy gear

With it being 2021 buying anything is a little different.  The changes in the economy and with all the local regulations have made shopping for anything more complicated.  This is why one question I receive frequently from newcomers to the ostomy world is,  “Where do I buy my stuff?”  They have just been inundated with massive amounts of information from the hospital, ostomy nurses, and surgeons and still don’t know where to buy their gear from.  Honestly, there are more important questions they should be asking and lots of information they should be learning.  But the costs of having a stoma do creep up in their minds and they want to get the best gear for their buck.  Lots of my friends are avid outdoors enthusiasts and let's face it are super gear nerds.  They will research forever and what we most rely on is experience and information.  So I let them know I generally use a few different companies for my ostomy needs. I don't simply stick with one company.  Finding the best gear from all different locations and being happy is worth it for me.

Now, I have learned a lot over the years and made a lot of failed purchases as well. I certainly didn’t start purchasing from there in the beginning.  And I usually tell my newly found friends to start where I did, at a pharmacy.  If only to talk to the pharmacist.  Local Pharmacists are usually amazing and very helpful.  This is because they run a business.  Yes, they are there to be profitable and most of the time that means they get the best products for their money that people will repeat purchase.  Repeat buying is huge for pharmacies.  More so than many other businesses so they are more apt to purchase great products.  This also means they have talked to lots and lots of people in the same situation as you and have lots of feedback on ostomy gear! It's a wonderful thing and it is also a great way for newcomers to the ostomy world to talk about their stoma and ask questions and answer them from a stranger.  It sure helps to start with someone that cares instead of having a terrible experience as your first ostomy conversation. 

Now online retailers are a great place to go and before that Youtube is a great resource of information on the subject.  Lots more people will talk about the products they like and the reasons they use them and the situations they use them in.  I learned about multiple companies that made amazing gear.  From there and what drew me to them is the fact that they offer samples of their products.  It sure does help to try out a specific bag and belt for outdoor use before paying lots of money to buy a pack of them.  That is why I ended up with a bunch of different brands 

Checking out social media people and seeing what they are doing is also a really great way to learn about new gear.  People from different parts of the world get information from different sources and now that we can all share we can all be better.  So be wise, ask lots of questions and watch a few videos and find what works best for you!