Where can I buy retail medical equipment by the piece?

June 14, 2013 9:58 AM

I'm going for a boat trip and might end up in some pretty remote areas. I'm putting a medical kit together. There's some more hospital style stuff I'd like to get (IV catheters/dressings/saline bags), but I only need a few of each. Is there anywhere I can buy these items by the piece? (I'm an RN, for the record)

I just need a few IV catheters, a couple sheets of steri strips, some NS bags and some IV tubing, etc. But everything online appears to be buying cases of these things. Is there a mail order medical supply company that would sell me individual catheters/dressings/etc?

Thanks!

posted by sully75 to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

eBay.
posted by kmennie at 10:01 AM on June 14, 2013

I've been able to get similar stuff on Amazon in packs of 2-4, occasionally in singles.
posted by elizardbits at 10:05 AM on June 14, 2013 [1 favorite]

eBay, Amazon would be my first stop. A lot of the prepper sites sell all sorts of medical kits and equipment, as do some of the less end of the world type ones. Searches for Prepper, or Bug OUt Bag or BOB bring you up a much of sites that will sell you items singularly. As do sites aiming at military or police equipment and supplies. Also you might try EMT suppliers.

I've used these guys for other things (I like their food storage buckets) but they have individual dressings etc, no IV stuff though, but it might be a start for you.
posted by wwax at 10:39 AM on June 14, 2013

For university-sanctioned research (no idea if this would apply to you), I've had luck getting stuff from an associated vet school.
posted by hydrobatidae at 10:56 AM on June 14, 2013

LE West apparently exists in the US. Haven't ever ordered from them personally, and maybe they're not the cheapest (don't know, haven't looked) but they do know about medical stores at sea, and the need to obtain stuff in small quantities.
posted by Lebannen at 5:23 AM on June 15, 2013