There is a large online market for the unauthorized sale of previously used continuous positive airway pressure devices to treat obstructive sleep apnea, according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Care System in Minnesotamonitored Craigslist on a weekly basis for posts regarding CPAP sales in 2014. The researchers analyzed data from 270 total advertisements for secondhand CPAPs and did not speak directly to buyers or sellers.
While using a secondhand CPAP may not result in direct medical harm, there are still risks associated with using the devices as consumers lack critical information regarding proper use, cleaning procedures, troubleshooting, warrant claims and manufacture recalls, explained Ken Kunisaki, MD, in a Reuters report.
Here are four things to know about the study's findings:
- The devices were sold on Craigslist for an average of $291. When purchased from an authorized vendor, the devices can cost $600 to $2,000 for patients with poor insurance coverage or none at all.
- More than 75 percent of the ads failed to indicate who previously used the device, why it was for sale or its pressure setting.
- More than half of the CPAP advertisements included a mask with the device, but did not say the age of the mask or how it had been sterilized.
- Only five of the 270 ads discussed a prescription requirement to purchase the device.
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