Where can I buy a mask without a prescription?

The doctors need to make a living...

starfirey2k wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 20, 2019 3:56 pm

can someone explain to me why we need a prescription to buy a cpap mask??

The FDA has classified both the machines and the complete mask assembly as class II medical devices, based on potential health risks if used improperly. However, the components of each are not regulated, so you can buy the parts separately without a prescription. That’s how a lot of people without the prescription form handy manage - they buy the headgear, the frame and the cushion separately, and just put it all together when it arrives.

starfirey2k wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 20, 2019 3:56 pm

can someone explain to me why we need a prescription to buy a cpap mask??

BECAUSE LAWS.

Now, if you want me to answer the question in the title instead of the post....

Amazon, ebay... pretty much anywhere if you just buy the *parts* of the mask separately and put it together yourself... mask parts don't need a prescription, just a complete package... why?

BECAUSE LAWS.

I was watching some of Jason's (LeftyLanky27 on youtube) Bleep videos today. His sponsor is Cheap Cpap Supplies.com and I went to the site to look around and saw that it says "No Prescription". You may also receive a 15% discount using the code Lefty15 if they still do that - I don't know how old the videos were. THere are other suppliers who don't require prescriptions as well. However, on those sites, I am guessing that you can't buy (for free) their 30 day return insurance if the mask doesn't fit or work for you so you are stuck with that price. I am on my 9th mask since early September so for some of us it's not a breeze finding the right one and can get expensive.

Just Googled this: Does a CPAP mask require a prescription?
There are a couple of reasons why a prescription is necessary to purchase CPAP medical equipment: ... Without a prescription they will not pay for equipment. Prescriptions come with a set pressure setting based on results of the sleep study. A machine cannot be adequately set without pressure settings.

So the reply didn't address the mask per se but looks like you need a prescription for the settings.

You don't need a prescription.

Mask parts do not require a prescription; it is just the complete mask that does. Several online suppliers have mask kits that include all the mask parts in one package. The only thing you have do to is attach the headset to the mask frame.

jsfisher wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:11 pm

You don't need a prescription.

Mask parts do not require a prescription; it is just the complete mask that does. Several online suppliers have mask kits that include all the mask parts in one package. The only thing you have do to is attach the headset to the mask frame.

This is the infuriating part of law where common sense is not allowed! If you buy a mask completely assembled without a prescription, you are buying a prescription item without a prescription, which is illegal in the US at the Federal and state levels. You can be prosecuted for the same act by both jurisdictions. That being said, the odds are darned near infinite that a mere patient buying one mask once every 6 months will *never* be prosecuted for it but still, the possibility exists. Just don't wind up in the "perfect storm" of circumstances where you draw enough attention to yourself so that you stand out from the crowd of others doing the same and catch the eye of some bored investigator/prosecutor who's having a bad day and decides to take out their frustrations on you. A little bit of probable-cause can go a looooong way in those situations.

ON THE OTHER HAND... you can buy disassembled mask parts (or *cases* of them) without a prescription and it's perfectly legal. For example, if you buy the parts and can feed a strap through a slot and are smart enough to work velcro, you're fine. Perfectly. Stinkin'. Legal. All. Day. Long.

This is the type of infuriating idiocy that happens when lobbyists, lawyers & legislators meet for cocktail hour... Go figure... Don't get me started.

-JD

Just yesterday I bought a new mask, fully assembled, from Amazon.ca. In my experience, Rx is not needed for a mask in Canada.

Don't know whether Canadian online sellers would require a script in order to ship to the US.

Insurance, monopolies, lobbyists, etc.
The "law" reflects the bottom line, not ethics, the "right thing" or common sense.

Hose_Head wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 21, 2019 7:52 am

Just yesterday I bought a new mask, fully assembled, from Amazon.ca. In my experience, Rx is not needed for a mask in Canada.

Don't know whether Canadian online sellers would require a script in order to ship to the US.

I have purchased a mask online from Canada without a Rx.

JayDee wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 21, 2019 5:56 am

You can be prosecuted for the same act by both jurisdictions.

I'm not entirely sure you can...
As well as I've been able to tell, the *seller* is the one that's running the most risk, not the buyer... unlike illicit drug deals where they both are at risk... (though it does feel a little like an illicit drug deal when I meet up to buy a used cpap from someone at a coffee shop... glancing around furtively when I plug the thing in )

boy that opened a can of worms........

I would be surprised if there isn't a cpap supplies store in your area somewhere that you can walk in and try some different masks on. I've got one here in Houston that I've gone to several times to buy complete mask and headgear setups from and they just take payment and hand me the bag o goodies, and that's it. No mention of insurance. And then yeah of course Amazon, CPAP shop, various other internet retailers.

I'm not really understanding the insurance issue here. It's like someone that suffers from high BP and hypertension needing insurance to buy a digital blood pressure monitor, or diabetics buying testing supplies from Wilford Brimley.

starfirey2k wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 21, 2019 2:59 pm

boy that opened a can of worms........

not a can of worms, rather, a heartfelt discussion.