Ran Out of Ostomy Bags? What to Do Today, and the Emergency Kit That Stops It Happening Again

Down to your last ostomy bag: the first hour

Running out of ostomy supplies is more common than people admit: a delayed delivery, a box that ran out faster because of leaks, a trip that lasted longer than planned. It feels urgent, and it is, but in almost every case you can have supplies in your hands within a day.

Start with what you have:

• Count everything. Pouches, wafers or baseplates, and accessories. With a two-piece system, a spare wafer with no pouch (or the other way round) still buys time.
• Leave a good seal alone. If your current pouch is sealed, comfortable and not itching, don't change it early. Empty it when it is a third to half full so the weight doesn't pull on the seal.
• Don't stretch it past its limit. If the wafer itches, burns or starts to lift, change it. Keeping a failing seal on to save a bag usually ends in a leak and sore skin, which costs you more supplies.
• Never improvise on the stoma. Household plastic bags, kitchen film or ordinary tape on or around the stoma can damage the skin. If you truly have nothing left, go to an emergency room: hospitals stock ostomy supplies.

Not sure how long yours should last? Our guide to how often to change and empty your ostomy pouch has typical wear times for each type.

Where to get emergency ostomy supplies today

Work down this list. Most people are sorted by step two or three.

1. Call your supplier and ask for an emergency shipment

   Medical supply companies deal with this every day. Say clearly that you are out, give your exact product codes and ask for overnight or next-day shipping. Many will ship a small emergency quantity right away while the rest of the order is processed.

2. Call the manufacturer of your pouch

   Coloplast, Hollister, ConvaTec and other makers run customer and nurse support lines and free sample programs. Tell them you've run out; they can often send samples of your exact product, or the closest match, within a few days.

3. Try local pharmacies and medical supply stores

   Some pharmacies and home medical stores keep a few common pouches and wafers on the shelf or can order them for the next day. Call before you go and have your product code ready.

4. Ask your stoma nurse or the hospital where you had surgery

   WOC or stoma nurses often keep a small stock for exactly this, and the outpatient clinic or surgical ward may give you enough to bridge a few days.

5. Reach out to a local ostomy support group

   Many groups run a supply closet of donated, unopened products, and members are usually happy to help someone on the same system. The UOAA lists affiliated groups across the country.

6. Go to an emergency room if you have nothing left

   If the last pouch has failed and nothing else is possible tonight, an ER will fit a pouch so you are safe until morning.

Medicare, insurance and early refills

Running out often comes down to how supplies are ordered, not how many you use. A few things are worth knowing:

• Medicare Part B covers ostomy supplies when they are medically necessary, in monthly quantities set for each product. Most suppliers ship up to a three-month supply at a time.
• If you need more than the usual amount, for example because of leaks or skin problems, ask your doctor or stoma nurse to document why. With that note, suppliers can usually send larger quantities.
• Reorder early. Put a reminder in your phone two weeks before you expect to run low, not when you open the last box.
• Private insurance and Medicaid have their own rules. Ask your supplier what yours allows and whether an early or urgent refill is possible.

The details are in our guides on how many ostomy bags Medicare pays for each month, whether insurance covers ostomy supplies and free ostomy supplies and samples.

The ostomy emergency kit: what to keep ready

The best way to never face an empty drawer again is a small kit that lives somewhere other than your bathroom: in your car, your work bag or your gym bag. Check it every couple of months, because adhesives age.

Travelling? Pack double what you think you'll need and keep it in your carry-on. Our ostomy travel bag guide walks through it, and new ostomates can start from the supplies checklist for the first 6 weeks.

Make every bag last as long as it should

Most people who run out early are losing bags to leaks. Fixing the cause saves more supplies than any stockpile:

• Re-measure your stoma. Stomas change size, especially in the first months. A gap of more than about 1/8 inch (2 to 3 mm) around it lets output reach the skin.
• Warm the wafer in your hands for a minute before applying and hold it in place for 30 to 60 seconds so the adhesive settles.
• Empty early. A heavy pouch drags on the seal; empty at a third to half full.
• Hold the pouch still. A support belt or high-waisted underwear keeps the pouch close to your body and carries its weight as it fills, so the wafer is pulled less. That helps prevent many of the leaks caused by movement and by weight peeling the seal.
• Ask about convexity or seal rings if you keep leaking at the same spot. Your stoma nurse can check the fit.

If leaks are the real reason you run short, our guide to an ostomy bag that keeps leaking goes through every common cause.

Running out of ostomy bags: your questions