BISMARCK, N.D. – Last week, Walmart responded via email to AAHomecare that CPAP devices had been removed from their site. AAHomecare officials discovered the inappropriate CPAP sales when a patient asked Sanford Healthcare Accessories for assistance regulating settings on a CPAP device.
Sanford Healthcare Accessories found out that the individual had purchased the equipment from a third-party seller via Walmart.com without confirming a prescription. Barb Stockert with Sanford also checked and found the devices directly available on the Walmart.com platform without the need for a prescription as required by North Dakota State law. North Dakota also requires that these machines be set-up by a clinically trained professional, which also did not happen.
Stockert reached out to the North Dakota Board of Pharmacy, which opened an investigation into the matter, and also let AAHomecare know about the incident. The Association followed up with a letter to Walmart about the issue, noting that both Federal and North Dakota laws prohibit the sale of CPAP devices without a prescription and that North Dakota also requires a DME Retailer license to directly provide this equipment to consumers.
NOTE: Barb Stockert recently left Sanford HealthCare Accessories, and remains involved in HME through her work with the Big Sky Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, the Pacific Association of Medical Suppliers, and Jurisdiction D DAC.