CPAP Prescription Questions Answered

By Anh – Licensed Practical Nurse

Yes, you need a prescription in order to buy CPAP from any reputable CPAP vendor, online or offline. This is an FDA requirement.

You can obtain a prescription by talking to your doctor and taking a sleep study. You can take either an In-Lab or an In-Home Sleep Study. 

To learn more about Sleep Studies and which type is probably best for you, please refer to this article.

If you obtain a used CPAP device, it is important to replace all the supplies: mask, tubing, and filter. It should also be calibrated to ensure the pressure displayed is what is being put out.

This is an FDA requirement for the safety of the patient. A device should only be used if prescribed by a physician after sufficient testing.

We have partnered with iSleepMDS to provide a prescription to those who have been previously diagnosed with sleep apnea. There is also an at-home sleep test called the Night Owl that can be booked and scheduled through iSleepMDS. The prescription renewal service is $69 and includes a 15-minute zoom video call and a prescription that will be emailed to you. 

The at-home sleep test we provide here at Respshop is $229 and includes a consultation, a sleep test mailed to you (disposable), and an interpretation of the report after it has been completed. If you test positive, a prescription will be provided.

This usually depends on whether you had a Polysomnography or an at-home sleep test. Interpretation of the reporting is usually dependent on the physician. Generally, it could take 1-3 weeks, depending on how busy they are. 

If the patient already had a sleep study report confirming the diagnosis, then yes. Otherwise, if it is suspected that the patient may have sleep apnea, they would be referred for testing before prescribing is possible.

Yes.

Yes, but only if the chiropractor is also an MD or a DO. 

Yes.

If they have the patient’s sleep study report confirming the diagnosis, then I don’t see why not.

Sleep apnea has been around since people have been in existence. The knowledge and treatment have been growing rapidly over the last 50 years. The simple answer is that it is not being over-prescribed; there are just more people who are diagnosed because of increased awareness and testing.

You are unable to purchase or rent a device without a prescription. This is an FDA requirement. Please check out our easy, at-home sleep test to obtain a prescription. 

Yes, to purchase or rent a ResMed device, you must have a prescription. 

A CPAP prescription should have your name, birth date, pressure settings, and your physician’s NPI number and signature (also, a diagnosis code, if you are submitting to insurance).

For examples of CPAP prescriptions and to learn how to read one, please refer to this article. 

You can get your prescription filled by a:

• Physician
• Specialists, such as a cardiologist, respirologist, or pulmonologist
• Sleep doctor or specialist.

You can obtain your prescribed CPAP equipment at a Durable Medical Equipment provider, such as RespShop or CPAPman. You can also go to a local sleep clinic that sells equipment.

A physician will need to prescribe a mask. Mask parts, however, do not require a prescription when you purchase them from Respshop. 

CPAP prescriptions don’t generally expire unless a time frame is indicated by the physician or if your insurance requires an updated prescription. 

Not unless the CPAP is prescribed to be used with your Oxygen concentrator. Otherwise, the only solution you will need for a CPAP machine is distilled water if the device has a humidifier and you intend to use it.