Advanced Healing, Clinically Proven
In effective wound management, quality is non-negotiable. Platinum Health Supply equips hospitals, aged care facilities, and NDIS participants with Smith & Nephew’s industry-leading range of hospital-grade dressings. Engineered for superior infection control and optimal patient comfort, these advanced solutions are backed by clinical science to support every stage of recovery—providing targeted care for surgical wounds, skin tears, pressure injuries, and diabetic foot ulcers.
Smith+Nephew Collection
Common Enquiries About Smith + Nephew Wound Care
Who is Smith + Nephew and why do healthcare professionals trust them?
Who is Smith + Nephew and why do healthcare professionals trust them?
Smith + Nephew was founded in 1856 and has been a trusted name in wound care for well over 150 years. They're a British multinational medical technology company, now headquartered in Watford, England, with a presence in over 100 countries.
They're the people behind some of the most widely used wound care products in Australian hospitals, aged care facilities, and homes, including ALLEVYN foam dressings, OPSITE film dressings, and PRIMAPORE adhesive dressings. If a nurse or doctor has dressed a wound for you at some point in your life, there's a fair chance it was a Smith + Nephew product.
What types of wounds are Smith + Nephew products suitable for?
What types of wounds are Smith + Nephew products suitable for?
Smith + Nephew's range covers a wide spectrum, from everyday cuts, grazes, and post-surgical wounds through to more complex chronic wounds like pressure injuries, leg ulcers, and diabetic foot ulcers.
Their product range spans core wound care for exudate management and compression, through to advanced therapies for non-healing wounds and antimicrobial products for infection prevention.
In practical terms: if you're managing a wound at home after surgery, caring for someone with a pressure injury, or just need reliable dressings for daily wound management, there's a Smith + Nephew product designed for that situation.
Can I use Smith + Nephew products at home, or are they just for clinical settings?
Can I use Smith + Nephew products at home, or are they just for clinical settings?
Both. While Smith + Nephew products are used extensively in hospitals and aged care facilities, their advanced wound care range is specifically designed to treat the most common wounds presenting to pharmacy, meaning they're built for home use too.
Products like OPSITE Post-Op and PRIMAPORE are straightforward to apply without clinical training, and they're available to purchase without a prescription. If you're unsure which product suits your wound type, your pharmacist, GP, or community nurse can help you choose.
Can I use NDIS funding to purchase Smith + Nephew wound care products?
Can I use NDIS funding to purchase Smith + Nephew wound care products?
Yes, in many cases. Since October 2019, the NDIS has included wound and pressure care health supports related to a participant's disability. This means the NDIS can fund wound care consumables including dressings, gauze, bandages, and tape.
Whether your specific wound care needs are covered depends on your individual plan and whether the wound is related to your disability.
It's worth speaking with your support coordinator or plan manager to confirm what's available under your funding. Smith + Nephew's Australian website also has a dedicated NDIS section that walks through the eligibility requirements in detail.
How do I know which Smith + Nephew dressing is right for my wound?
How do I know which Smith + Nephew dressing is right for my wound?
It depends on the type and size of the wound, how much fluid it's producing, and where on the body it is.
As a rough guide: OPSITE Post-Op is well suited to post-surgical wounds and stitches; PRIMAPORE is a good all-rounder for cuts, abrasions, and sutured wounds; and ALLEVYN foam dressings are designed for wounds with more fluid output, including pressure injuries and leg ulcers.
Each product page on our site includes guidance on what the dressing is best suited for. If you're managing a more complex or chronic wound, it's always worth getting advice from a nurse, GP, or wound care specialist before choosing a dressing.
Are Smith + Nephew products available without a prescription in Australia?
Are Smith + Nephew products available without a prescription in Australia?
Yes. Most of the Smith + Nephew wound care products available through Platinum Health Supply can be purchased directly without a prescription. Smith + Nephew wound care products are available through pharmacies and online retailers across Australia.
That said, for more complex wound management situations, particularly chronic wounds or wounds related to a health condition, it's worth involving your GP, community nurse, or pharmacist in the decision. Getting the right dressing for the right wound makes a real difference to how quickly and comfortably it heals.
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Smith + Nephew Algisite
Algisite M Calcium Alginate Dressings by Smith & Nephew
When a wound is producing significant amounts of fluid, managing that exudate properly is one of the most important things a dressing can do. Too much moisture left in the wound causes maceration and delays healing. Too little and the wound dries out, forming eschar and slowing the healing process. Algisite M is a fast-gelling calcium alginate dressing that forms a hydrophilic gel when in contact with exudate, helping to create and maintain a moist wound environment.
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The calcium-alginate composition is what makes Algisite M highly absorbent, efficiently managing wound exudate by both absorbing and retaining it within the gel, preventing leakage and minimising the potential for maceration. The result is a wound environment that supports healing without the clinician needing to change the dressing more frequently than necessary.
What Is Algisite M?
Algisite M is made of fast-gelling, high mannuronic acid fibres from calcium alginate, which is extracted and purified from a natural, renewable source — seaweed. That composition gives the dressing several specific clinical properties that separate it from standard gauze or simple foam dressings.
Key features include fast-gelling high mannuronic acid fibres, minimal fibre shed construction, high integrity when wet, and a soft, conformable structure. The minimal fibre shed property is worth noting specifically — fibre-based alginates can release fibres when handled, but the advanced bonding technique used in Algisite M greatly reduces the chance of this occurring, which reduces the risk of fibres being left in the wound bed during dressing changes.
The dressing conforms to wound contours, is easy to remove, and its fast-gelling high mannuronic acid fibers provide consistent performance across a range of wound types.
Clinical Indications
Algisite M is indicated for the management of full and partial thickness wounds with moderate to heavy exudate, and which may also be prone to minor bleeding, including pressure ulcers, leg ulcers, surgical wounds, and diabetic foot ulcers. It can also be used on lacerations and abrasions with moderate exudate.
The dressing helps prevent eschar formation and promotes wound contraction. Its haemostatic properties make it appropriate for wounds that bleed lightly during dressing changes — the calcium ions in the alginate activate the clotting cascade, helping to control minor wound bleeding.
Algisite M is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia across all three flat sheet sizes, making it accessible for eligible patients through the subsidised wound dressing programme.
The rope format is specifically indicated for cavity wounds, sinuses, and undermined wounds where a flat dressing cannot make sufficient contact with the wound bed to absorb exudate effectively.
How Algisite M Works
The mechanism is straightforward once you understand calcium alginate chemistry. When the dressing contacts wound exudate, calcium ions in the alginate fibres exchange with sodium ions in the exudate. This ion exchange triggers the fibres to swell and form a soft, cohesive gel that fills the wound surface. The gel absorbs and retains excess moisture, keeping the wound surface moist without becoming waterlogged.
Algisite M can absorb up to 10 times its own weight in exudate, which allows the dressing to remain in the wound for up to 7 days depending on the nature of the wound and the volume of exudate produced. That extended wear time is clinically significant — frequent dressing changes disrupt the wound healing environment and increase the risk of trauma to the wound bed and surrounding tissue. A dressing that performs for longer between changes reduces that disruption.
At removal, the gel structure means the dressing lifts away from the wound cleanly. Algisite M is sterile and non-adherent, which minimises trauma during dressing changes. For heavily saturated dressings, irrigation with saline before removal makes the process easier and more comfortable for the patient.
Why Buy Algisite M from Platinum Health?
We stock Algisite M across the full size range — 5cm x 5cm, 10cm x 10cm, 15cm x 20cm, and the 2cm x 30cm rope — so you’re not sourcing different sizes from different suppliers. Fast nationwide delivery, competitive pricing, and a price match guarantee. Bulk ordering is available for aged care facilities, hospitals, and community nursing services through APEX, our B2B platform. Call us on 1300 604 499 for volume pricing and ongoing supply arrangements.
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