Why do you need a prescription to buy a CPAP machine, big pharma scam?

Something I’ve been thinking about for a while now… why the hell do I need to get a prescription to get a CPAP machine. I understand sleep apnea is a medical issue, but it seems like a relatively harmless thing to use if for some odd reason someone chose to do so without needing it. It’s literally just a machine that blows air, and I feel like I’m paying more for a doctors visit and prescription via insurance rather than just being able to purchase it for myself. Is this some big pharma thing where somebody’s getting paid more?

Well first of all, you need a prescription to even get a sleep apnea test, so it wouldn’t make sense to buy a machine without even knowing you have it. Also there are different types of CPAP devices and settings, so you need someone who knows what they’re doing to give you the correct treatment.

Lol. I like your conspiratorial line of thinking, but this wouldn’t really make sense. It’s the FDA that decided that you need a prescription, not doctors or insurance companies.

Seems like a pretty big safety risk if used improperly too.