For many years, hearing aids were only available to patients with a prescription from a physician. This resulted in high prices for hearing aids, making them unaffordable for many patients who otherwise would have benefited from sound amplification.

In August 2022, the FDA issued a final rule to make many hearing aids available over-the-counter (OTC), enabling patients with mild to moderate hearing loss to purchase them directly from stores. Eliminating the need for a medical exam, physician prescription, and audiologist fitting will save many patients hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars each.

OTC hearing aids were start being available at pharmacies and electronic retailers by the end of October 2022. This could greatly benefit many of the roughly 30 million adults in America with permanent hearing impairment.

Turner Scientific’s dream is to help cure hearing loss. Until this occurs, we are excited that so many Americans will soon be able to affordably improve their quality of life through better auditory function.