{"id":1520,"date":"2025-12-04T12:01:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T12:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/pages\/pharmacy-services\/national-pharmacy-services\/stoma-services\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T13:18:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T13:18:21","slug":"stoma-services","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/pages\/pharmacy-services\/national-pharmacy-services\/stoma-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Stoma Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Service specification <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A stoma service in the pharmacy sector refers to the support provided to patients who have undergone surgery to create a stoma\u2014an artificial opening in the abdomen that allows waste (faeces or urine) to exit the body into a pouch. This is common after operations for conditions like bowel cancer, Crohn\u2019s disease, or bladder issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What Does the Service Include?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Supply of Stoma Appliances and Accessories<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patients need specialist products such as stoma bags, baseplates, skin barriers, and disposal items.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pharmacies or Dispensing Appliance Contractors (DACs) supply these items based on NHS prescriptions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Products are listed in Part IXC of the Drug Tariff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customisation of Appliances<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some stoma appliances require Stoma Appliance Customisation (SAC) to fit the patient\u2019s measurements for comfort and to prevent leakage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advice and Support<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pharmacists provide guidance on stoma care, skin protection, and managing complications like leakage or irritation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They also advise on medication issues (e.g., absorption changes, high-output stomas) and when to refer to a stoma nurse. <a href=\"https:\/\/pharmaceutical-journal.com\/article\/ld\/pharmaceutical-considerations-for-patients-with-stomas\">[pharmaceut\u2026ournal.com]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prescription Management<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patients receive prescriptions from their GP or stoma nurse and can choose where to have them dispensed (pharmacy or DAC).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Home Delivery<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many suppliers offer home delivery for convenience, especially for patients with mobility issues. <a href=\"https:\/\/urostomyassociation.org.uk\/information-pages\/receiving-stoma-products\/\">[urostomyas\u2026ion.org.uk]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How It Works in Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>After surgery, the hospital stoma nurse sets up the patient with initial supplies and explains the process.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The patient then gets repeat prescriptions from their GP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The pharmacy or DAC dispenses the products, customises them if needed, and may deliver them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why Is It Important?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensures patients have the right products for comfort and hygiene.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduces complications like skin damage or leakage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supports independence and quality of life for people living with a stoma.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Here are some key resources and guidelines for stoma services in the pharmacy sector:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Training &amp; Professional Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Coloplast Professional Resources<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Offers tools like the Ostomy Skin Tool and Stoma Quality of Life questionnaire.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.co.uk\/en-gb\/stoma\/professional\/professional-resources\/\">Explore resources<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.co.uk\/en-gb\/stoma\/professional\/professional-resources\/\">[coloplast.co.uk]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Southwest London Guideline<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Includes process maps, prescribing tips, and referral criteria.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/swlimo.southwestlondon.icb.nhs.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/South-West-London-Initiation-and-Management-of-Stoma-Appliances-and-Accessories-Guideline-v1-FINAL-2.pdf\">Download guideline<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/swlimo.southwestlondon.icb.nhs.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/South-West-London-Initiation-and-Management-of-Stoma-Appliances-and-Accessories-Guideline-v1-FINAL-2.pdf\">[swlimo.sou\u2026icb.nhs.uk]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Patient Education &amp; Support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stoma Hub \u2013 Community support and practical guides<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stomahub.co.uk\/\">Visit Stoma Hub<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stomahub.co.uk\/\">[stomahub.co.uk]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Colostomy UK \u2013 Free factsheets, helpline, and professional literature<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.colostomyuk.org\/information\/for-professionals\/\">Access resources<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.colostomyuk.org\/information\/for-professionals\/\">[colostomyuk.org]<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rhodes Pharma StoCare \u2013 Product guides and patient booklets<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stocare.co.uk\/stoma-resources\/\">View resources<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stocare.co.uk\/stoma-resources\/\">[stocare.co.uk]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"nhsuk-card__description\">Service specification A stoma service in the pharmacy sector refers to the support provided to patients who have undergone surgery [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":1483,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1520","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1520"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1815,"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1520\/revisions\/1815"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communitypharmacy.scot.nhs.uk\/nhs-highland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}