If I were interested in using these (which I'm not), I would wonder what the ingredient is in the patches which is causing the healing, and if a person can get that ingredient without having to import a product from another country (which I know can be expensive).

From a brief glance at the Compeed UK site, it seems the active ingredient in their patches is "hydrocolloid-075 particles":

"COMPEED® TOTAL CARE™ Invisible Cold Sore Patch works so effectively because of its unique Hydrocolloid- 075 particles. It seals the wound, repelling water and potentially infection causing bacteria, and helps ensure the optimum moisture level. It makes it easier for nutrients to disseminate, thus promoting the skin’s own healing* mechanism and treating the cold sore fast."


this is a site about using hydrocolloid dressings on wounds:
http://www.pilonidal.org/pdfs/hydrocolloid_faq.pdf


here is some info for doctors on using hydrocolloid dressings:
"Hydrocolloids are dressings composed of varying materials such as carboxymethylcellulose, pectin and gelatin. The substance that comprises the layer that comes in contact with the wound may be different, depending on the type of hydrocolloid dressing. What they all have in common is that they provide a moist healing environment that is conducive to autolytic debridement and the formation of granulation tissue. These dressing come in many different shapes and sizes and may be found in paste, powder and wafer form."
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Wound-Dressings---Hydrocolloids&id=2545854


this is an article on cold sore treatments from a major UK newspaper which says that hydrocolloids are often used in wound treatments, not just in cold sore patches:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/cold-sores-treatments


so, totally at random I looked at Target (a common US department store) - one could go anywhere - I imagine pharmacies and Walmart would have even more choices available - but here are some hydrocolloid bandages that are available to buy at Target in the US:
http://www.target.com/s/176-5079613-3522064?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-i...


Maybe the Compeed cold sore patches have something special in them that is for the lips only --- they don't say on their website -- but I would guess that aside from possibly being sized correctly for the lip area, they don't have that much of an advantage over other hydrocolloid bandages, some of which are available to buy in the US.