G-Day fellow MaO,
Lately there has been a lot of talk about a company called Salts, which is available in Australia, the UK, Canada, and a few other countries, but not in America. I am using some of their products, and I am very impressed, especially with their Sealing Washer with Alo. My skin is the best ever.
Why don't a few of you contact Salts, either in Canada or the UK, and try to get Salts direct?
I have not heard a bad result as yet.
Regards, IGGIE
Iggy
Well said - especially helpful from a non-UK person - because, although I have no declarable interest [financially] in the company, those from afar do doubtless have their own importers/distributors through whom Salts supply.
My own recommendations and knowledge of the company span many years as I have used their [and other brands] since I was 25 - and have found, as a company, Salts have gone the extra mile - both in terms of design and customer service.
So far as I am aware, their head office is based in Birmingham, UK still - and I feel sure that a direct approach via their management would ascertain good feedback, helpful input, and probably enable access to a US supply facility.
From my own experience, Salts products and their research and development are second to none - and as such, I endorse Iggy's observation as regards direct inquiry for the US - I feel sure such a group endeavor would be worthwhile. Once such a group application is formed, I will be happy to endorse such an approach.
Best wishes
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ waves ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
from UK
Jayne
MeetAnOstoMate.org is the only place where people truly understand you. It's because everyone here has an ostomy.
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Hey Iggie, I have contacted them 3 times. Lol, I want them here too. I have tried, lol. If others want it here, they have to reach out to them too.
Try to get a group together, Beth. It counts more in numbers.
They are great products.
Regards, IGGIE
Hi Iggie, I also have contacted them and got the reply that they were concentrating on their current customers, so I assume they don't have the capacity to handle the American market.
I was at Salts UK factory in Aston recently, really impressed it's big! 75% of their bags are made from recycled material, and within 5 years it will be 100%. I've used their bags for around 10 years now and never had one single leak yet! Very soon, simply BE GO will be out in 6 different colors. You can pull the cover off, wash it, and put another color on, so it's a win-win for all those that want to do their bit for the environment.
I contacted them but got a stock answer that basically said, "Not now."
As Ron said, I take it that they don't have the manufacturing capacity to expand into the US market.
What we really need is a group of investors who are willing to sponsor another manufacturing site. Then give them a call. Money talks.
Sadly, I'm not in a position to invest, but in case others are...
G-Day eetyjig,
I have a black bag, and it is made of the best material. They even send a mesh bag for you to wash it without picking up any lint.
IGGIE
We've covered this before. It has nothing to do with Salt's capacity to make product and everything to do with the costs incurred and the hoops that have to be jumped through to get the FDA to approve the importing of a "medical device." Salt won't spend all that money and time to get maybe a 20% market share of the ostomy supply market here in the US. Just doesn't make fiscal sense. So unless they can come up with a unique product that will gain them significant market share in the US... which means taking it away from Hollister, Coloplast, and Convatec... we won't be seeing their products here anytime soon. Maybe RFK will fix this if enough people complain... so get writing!!
;O)
I use the Oura ring; it's the first ring I used. I have tried a couple of others but always go back to the Salts.
Legislature: Rather thought as much - the FDA is a tough and time-consuming filter - however, if you guys intend to use salts products, you will apply the lobby movement so to do.
Good luck - write for change
BW
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ waves from the UK ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
J
The FDA is charged with keeping food and drugs safe. They are already allowing too much stuff in our food that is probably harmful. Deregulation will make that worse, not better.
So while it might make it easier to get a good product to market, some bad products will slip through too. It becomes a balancing act. I'm not convinced the current balance is right, but this is a big picture question. The whole picture needs to be taken into account.
I imagine that Salts' approval in the UK, etc., pre-dated the ICH common technical document. New products file nearly identical documents in most major markets, making it easier to apply in multiple markets. I write those documents for a living, so I'm very familiar with the requirements. An older product would need to rewrite their entire submission to enter any new market. That's a ton of work. And each individual item needs its own application (true almost everywhere, even in the UK). That alone may be the problem. ICH was created to prevent these problems going forward, but older products still have a hurdle.
Hi Iggie. Thank you for the heads up. I live in Canada and was wondering if you could possibly get a post office box in Canada, close to your border so you could pick it up. I've done this the opposite way when I have wanted something from the States and rented a post office box close to the border.
Just a thought
Olivia
Ontario, Canada
From another Canuck …
There are companies here that sell salts and others via mail order. One of them might be willing to sell and ship to a US customer.
The problem then is shipping costs and US customs. I don't know if the “de minimis” deduction would apply or not.
I have never tried salts, but I am going to look into them. I use Hollister because that's what the hospital started me with and just carried on.
Love this idea. I'm close enough to do that. If I could drive myself, I'd definitely do it. But I may look into mail order to see if I can slip it in like people do medications sometimes. I mostly want to try the barrier ring with aloe. I haven't been able to find anything like it here.
I've been using SALTS colostomy & urostomy BE Confidence bags with Coloplast XL Brava tape for a leak-free life for the past 3 years!!
SALTS are the longest & oldest established ostomy company in the UK.
I've tried so many other bags from here, there & everywhere, but SALTS are the best!! 😊
