Buyer's guide
Where to buy medical grade honey.
A reference for clinicians, formulators and informed consumers — covering NHS prescription routes, UK and US retail pharmacies, and bulk-sterile sources for product development. Independent and unsponsored.
The short answer
Three routes, three buyer profiles.
Patients & carers
Ask your GP or tissue-viability nurse for a prescription, or buy over the counter from LloydsPharmacy, Pharmacy2U, Boots and most wound-care online pharmacies.
Clinics & hospitals
Order through NHS Supply Chain (UK), HCA / hospital formulary suppliers (US), or wound-care distributors that stock CE-marked / FDA-cleared dressings.
Formulators
Source sterile bulk medical grade honey directly from ISO 13485 manufacturers — Comvita Clinihoney, Manukamed, Watson & Son, Triticum (Revamil).
UK retail
Where to buy medical grade honey in the UK.
In the UK, the dominant medical-grade Manuka brand is Advancis Medical's Activon and Algivon range. Both are listed in the NHS Drug Tariff and prescribable on the NHS. They are also available without prescription from:
- LloydsPharmacy and Lloyds Direct (online)
- Pharmacy2U
- Boots (selected stores and boots.com)
- Independent wound-care online pharmacies (Wound-care Handbook, Medisave, Williams Medical Supplies)
L-Mesitran (Triticum's Revamil/Bfactor-based gel, tulle and ointment) is stocked by several UK wound-care distributors and a smaller number of high-street pharmacies. Some NHS trusts list it on formulary; check with your trust's tissue-viability team.
US retail
Where to buy medical grade honey in the US.
In the United States the leading medical-grade Manuka brand is Medihoney (Comvita / Integra LifeSciences), FDA-cleared as a wound and burn dressing. It is supplied via:
- Hospital and wound-care distributors (Cardinal Health, McKesson, Medline)
- Online medical-supply retailers (Vitality Medical, ADW Diabetes, Express Medical Supply)
- Pharmacy benefit channels for chronic-wound patients with appropriate insurance authorisation
ManukaMed (MediHoney-branded in some markets, ManukaPli and SurgihoneyRO in others) also distributes through hospital formulary supply chains.
Bulk & formulators
Sourcing sterile bulk medical grade honey.
For contract manufacturers, formulators and brand owners building their own CE / 510(k) device, medical grade honey is sourced as sterile bulk under an ISO 13485 quality system. The main suppliers are:
- Comvita Clinihoney — gamma-sterilised bulk Manuka, MGO-graded, 1–25 kg pails (New Zealand)
- Manukamed — sterile Manuka for wound care and OEM dressings (New Zealand)
- Watson & Son — sterile bulk Manuka with MGO and DHA characterisation (New Zealand)
- Triticum (Revamil / Bfactor) — pasture-blossom medical grade honey for Mesitran / L-Mesitran range (Netherlands)
All four supply against a Certificate of Analysis covering MGO/DHA (or relevant assay), water activity, HMF, microbiological limits and a sterility statement against ISO 11137. The MGH™ standard describes the quality criteria a bulk lot should meet before it qualifies for medical-device formulation.
What to check before you buy
The three documents that distinguish medical grade.
Certificate of Analysis
MGO, DHA, water activity, HMF, microbiological counts — released per batch.
Sterility statement
Gamma irradiation dose (typically 25 kGy), SAL 10⁻⁶, validated under ISO 11137.
Device registration
CE mark with notified-body number or FDA 510(k) clearance for the finished product; ISO 13485 certificate for bulk supply.
FAQ
Common buying questions.
Can I buy medical grade honey at a supermarket?
No. Supermarket Manuka honey is a food product, not a sterile medical device. Even high-MGO jars are not gamma-irradiated, are not CE-marked or FDA-cleared, and are not supplied with a sterility statement. Medical grade honey is sold as a registered wound-care device through pharmacies, wound-care distributors and NHS supply routes.
Is medical grade honey available on the NHS?
Yes. Activon Tube, Activon Tulle, Algivon and Algivon Plus (Advancis Medical, Manuka-based) are listed in the NHS Drug Tariff Part IXA and can be prescribed by GPs, tissue-viability nurses and community wound-care teams. L-Mesitran (Revamil/Bfactor-based) is stocked by some trusts via wound-care distributors.
What's the difference between retail and bulk medical grade honey?
Retail formats (Activon tubes, Medihoney gels, single-use applicators) are designed for end-user wound dressings and priced per gram. Bulk medical grade honey (Comvita's Clinihoney, Manukamed's bulk Manuka, Watson & Son sterile bulk) is supplied in 1–25 kg pails under ISO 13485 for formulators and contract manufacturers building their own registered devices.
How do I verify a seller is supplying genuine medical grade honey?
Ask for three documents: (1) a Certificate of Analysis showing MGO/DHA/water-activity and microbiological results; (2) a sterility statement referencing SAL 10⁻⁶ and the gamma-irradiation dose under ISO 11137; (3) the CE mark or 510(k) clearance number for the finished device, or the ISO 13485 certificate of the manufacturer for bulk supply.