Using a wand is also a standard action.
Pretty much using any magic item is a standard action.
The only advantage potions have over wands are that you can use something not on our spell list without resorting to a UMD check - like say potions of healing.
Using a wand doesn't generate an AoO of opportunity even if it still uses a standard action to use - you also can use quck draw with a wand but not a potion.
Also might be of note: Eternal Wands from Magic Item Compendium. Follow all the wand rules, except:
1) 2 uses/day, but never runs out. Instead of 50 charges, use as often as you like until it runs out.
2.) Only allows up to 3rd level spells instead of 4th, for reasons beyond my comprehension.
3.)
ANY arcane caster can use a particular eternal wand, even if that spell is not on his class spell list. That's the biggie, right there. Note that only spells that are on
some arcane caster's list could possibly be made as an Eternal Wand. But when you consider that classes like Bards (access to cure spells) and Assassins are "arcane casters," that's not as terribly limiting as it first appears.
Also worth noting, Eternal Wands are priced differently. 0 and 1st level eternal wands cost slightly more than a 50 charge regular wand, but by 3rd level, they cost less. For some reason, the designers didn't use a "fixed" multiplier (for regular wands, it's 750, which you then multiply by CL and spell level). With Eternal Wands, whatever multiplier is used seems ot vary for each spell level. Not much difference in price, just something to take note of.
